As the 2024 U.S. election draws near, and we are inundated with campaign ads, Landmarks' screening of Antoni Muntadas and Marshall Reese's anthology, Political Advertisement X, seems particularly relevant. On view this month as part of Landmarks Video, the work includes a selective compilation of political ads since 1952, the year they were first introduced, and highlights the remarkable way in which TV and politics have become inextricably intertwined.
Each election year since 1984, the artist duo have updated the work to include advertisements from the most recent presidential election. Viewing the ads from different political epochs illuminates characteristics and connections among them. Certain motifs return again and again, such as the politician's desk, the testimonial, stump speeches, shaking hands with crowds, and free time with the family. Figures and names also reemerge over the years—Reagan, Kennedy, Bush, and Clinton. Political Advertisement X is not only an archive; it also is a work of art.
Read the full curatorial essay by Kanitra Fletcher on the work's collection page. The work is on view through the end of the month in the ART building atrium located on the corner of East 23rd Street and San Jacinto Blvd. The ART Building is open Monday through Friday (8 AM - 5 PM).