Sponsor Emma Yi’s involvement in the UnionDocs Collaborative Studio.

From Emma:

Hi, everyone,

Thank you so much for visiting my campaign page and choosing to be part of my journey as a filmmaker.

I have been selected as one of 12 artists from around the world to be part of the Collaborative Fellowship (CoLAB) at UnionDocs in Brooklyn, NY, a community for exploring documentary arts. Through this campaign, I am trying to raise $3300 to cover some of the costs.

I am constantly making art practice, related to film and video. It is part of my career already, but I think as an artist (Chinese artist as well), we need support from a great community of professionals and colleagues, and CoLab is the right place for me to explore my identity as a filmmaker. As part of CoLab community, my works will be shared for critiques inside the community and would get more attentions from the documentary art/film circles outside. From my perspective, practicing and participating inside the “institution” is a must for contemporary artists/filmmakers, in terms of presentation and career development.

It is worthy to know that everyone in CoLAB will have a chance to show their collaborative work in New York, as UnionDocs is doing public screenings for CoLAB artists every year. So, as you are helping me to cover some of my costs for this fellowship, you are also helping other emerging filmmakers in our community! It is also exciting that you might get direct credit (special thanks) in my film, or receive an interactive artwork made by me, depending on how much you donate!

Any contribution, no matter how small, will be very appreciated. :+)

Emma

亲爱的朋友，

非常感谢你的支持，并选择成为我纪录片生涯的一部分。
我最近被选中参加位于纽约布鲁克林的UnionDocs的电影人驻地项目“Collaborative
Studio”(CoLAB)，这是一个探索纪录片艺术的社区群体。目前，由于驻地经费原因，我希
望通过众筹的方式缓解自己经济上的压力。
我一直在做与电影和视频相关的艺术创作。这已经是我职业生涯的一部分，但我认为作为
一名艺术家(同时也是在美的中国艺术家)，我们需要专业人士和同伴的支持，而CoLab恰
恰是我认为可以探索自己作为一名电影工作者身份的合适地点。作为CoLab社区的一部分，

我的作品将会在社区内被大家分享，也会受到纪录片艺术界和电影界的更多关注。在我
看来，在“体制”内实践和参与是当代艺术家/电影人在作品呈现和职业发展方面所必须的。
令人兴奋的是，CoLAB的每个人都有机会在纽约展示他们合作完成的作品，因为
UnionDocs每年夏天都在为CoLAB的电影人进行公开放映。所以，当你在帮助我众筹的同
时，你也在帮助我们群体其他想要从事纪录片或影像艺术的电影人。并且，你的名字可能
会出现在电影结尾中的特别感谢，或者收到我制作的互动艺术作品，这取决于你的贡献大
小；但不论贡献大小，我都会万分感谢！！ ：）

Emma Yi makes films, videos, photos and new media artworks. She completed her MFA degree in Digital and Interdisciplinary Art Practice at The City College of New York. Having a bachelor’s degree in Literature of Film, Television and Theater and a master’s degree in Communication Studies, her ideas are multi-disciplinary and grounded in different fields, such as sociology and anthropology. Through utilizing and de-familiarizing crucial moments of everyday life as materials of artistic practice, her works are often conceptual, including conflicts inherent to human nature, functions of objects, hidden power and social construction, based on post-structural
theory. Many of her time-based works are episodic, containing different characters: most of whose narratives parallel with each other, yet connect in a spiritual way.

易冰萤是一名活跃于纽约的独立电影工作者，视频艺术家，摄影师以及新媒体艺术爱好者
，毕业于纽约城市学院的数码与跨领域艺术实践纯艺术硕士专业。易冰萤有着戏剧影视文
学以及传播学的专业背景，她的艺术创作中经常有跨学科的理念，受到来自如社会学、人
类学等不同领域的影响。她的作品常常表现日常生活中的片段而又将其陌生化：基于后结
构主义的观点，她作品中探讨的概念包括人性的矛盾，物体的功能性，隐藏的权力和社会
建构等等。她的时间性作品中常常包含几个独立的故事和不同的主角，他们平行于彼此，
却在精神层面相互联系。

Website: https://www.bingyingyi.com

Facebook: https://facebook.com/emma.yi.56

Instagram: @bingyingyi

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-yi-5b81b093

Work Samples (See links below)

Masks Inside #1, void silence () #2-3

About CoLab:

The UnionDocs Collaborative Studio (CoLAB) is a 10 month program for a select group of media artists from the US and abroad. Based in one of NYC’s most exciting neighborhoods, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, CoLAB offers a platform for exploring contemporary approaches to the documentary arts and a process for developing an innovative collaborative project. The program consists of weekly production meetings, seminars, screenings and other public programs, along with regular masterclasses and critiques with visiting artists.

In a recent article in The New York Times, film scholar Scott MacDonald, remarked, “UnionDocs has a healthy sense that the older definitions of what constitutes ‘experimental’ cinema and what constitutes ‘documentary’ are up for grabs.” Similarly, the UnionDocs Collaborative Studio represents a new and alternative fellowship model, offering residency and visa support for six participants coming from abroad and an equal number of spots for local, non-resident participants. It is designed to be affordable and, although participants are asked to make CoLAB their primary creative focus, the schedule does accommodate full-time or freelance work. Rather than applying with a project proposal or rough cut, all participants are selected on the basis of previous work and enter the program at square one, open to discovery and fresh connections.

UnionDocs is not simply the host for this activity, it takes an active role producing the collection of short documentary works that comprise the collaborative project. The theme or focus for the year is chosen by the Artistic Director, and resources and research to support this direction are gathered. The CoLAB Director leads the group through an incremental process where new ideas and new partnerships form; each participant finding their own avenues of creative contribution. Regular readings and assignments for seminars stimulate creativity, open discussion and debate, and offer a common set of references for the group. Master classes with visiting artists provide encouragement, inspiration and exposure to a diverse set of conceptual perspectives and practical methods. As projects reach their final edit, unique plans for exhibition and distribution are formulated.

The Brooklyn Rail summed it up with the title of their feature article: “UnionDocs Brings Auteurs Together”. For some, participation in the program may lead to further study. For others, it may lead to independent projects or strengthened careers within the industry. For all, it is an unparalleled immersion in the expansive field of documentary art.

Learn more about the UnionDocs Collaborative Studio here