One of the odd consequences of all the excitement around digital filmmaking has been a return to "primitive" cinema, and the investigation of early cinema´s precursors. Such is the case with A temple for the moving image, the new installation by finnish media artists Jari Haanperä and Mirka Flander, made in collaboration with EZTV's Michael Masucci and Kate Johnson, and installed in EZTV's Hollywood space.

The Temple is indeed a shrine, and it pays reverent homage to the wonders of media, from the magic lanterns of the 19th century to the now-clunky video decks of the 1970´s and 80´s. At first glance, the works' dazzling centerpiece appears to be a multilayered, effects-laden moving image, but it´s actually a rear-screen projection using colored lights shining through objects suspended and shifting in midair. The shadows cast by the objects twist and dance on the screen for viewers, who see only the magic of light and motion on the other side. In front of this projection is an altar made from old film and video equipment, with more screens and moving images, all of them referencing the history of media.

In addition to re-igniting the powerful effect of sheer wonder, the piece addresses the almost spiritual role of media in contemporary culture, finding connections between religious iconography and adoration and the awe inspired by the basic apparatus of cinema. The piece is a must-see, not only as a pilgrimage for believers, but as a reminder that, despite advances in technology, we're often bedazzled by the simple things. Haanperä and Flander understand this amazement, and spark it with a truly wondrous construction. Seeing the installation requires calling ahead to make an appointment - do it! And when you're there, insist on taking an illicit peek behind the curtain to see the artists' handiwork.

(EZTV, 6522 Hollywood Blvd., Hhlywd.; by appointment. Opening Fri., Nov.17, with a panel discussion at 7:30 p.m. and reception from 8:30 to 10 p.m. 323-462-3678)

LAWEEKLY November 17-23, 2000 Written by Holly Willis