Here is Always Somewhere Else

In the summer of 2005, Rene Daalder spent two months in the Wexner Center's Art & Technology studios, editing and doing research for Here is Always Somewhere Else, a documentary about Bas Jan Ader, the legendary Dutch/Californian conceptual artist known for his physically daring performances and infamous for his final work, In Search of the Miraculous (1975) in which he set out to sea in a tiny sailboat and was never seen again.

The documentary has a uniquely personal tone, as Daalder himself, a Dutch expat living in southern California, narrates the film and links not only himself but also a host of contemporary artists (Tacita Dean, Chris Burden, etc) to Ader's life and work.  And Daalder had astonishingly complete access to the artist's estate.  I will never forget walking into the edit room and seeing Bas Jan Ader's driver's license lying on the table.

Though I kept up with the progress of the film after he left, I was thrilled to receive a DVD of the film a few weeks ago and am happy to report that it is now available for purchase in the Wexner shop.  It's always gratifying to see ambitious projects that we've supported (both financially and in-kind) come to fruition and watching the video again was a nice reminder of Rene's residency.

Jennifer Lange
Associate Curator, Media Arts