Summary

A pioneer of video art, Theo Eshetu explores the relationship between media, identity, and global information networks. After studying photography, Eshetu began making videos in early 1982, seeking to deconstruct the hegemonic status of television, which he viewed as a state apparatus. His practice encompasses documentaries, installations, and films, and he uses moving images “to create or construct an artistic message, a sort of personal reality rather than an institutional reality or a political reality.” Born in London and based in Rome, Eshetu, whose work has been shown in the Venice Biennale, is interested in cultivating a global perspective in his art, drawing inspiration from his pan-national life, including his upbringing in Senegal and Ethiopia.