Unexpected images, karaoke clichés, Hollywood special effects, and a healthy dose of humour all characterise the film and video works of Christian Jankowski.
Everything Fell Together is the first UK exhibition of his work which includes the premier of a short film entitled ‘16mm Mystery,’ created in collaboration with Hollywood special effects wizards the Brothers Strause, who devised the special effects for ‘Titanic’ and ‘The Day After Tomorrow’. In the same gallery, an interactive piece entitled ‘The Day We Met’ comprises of a living room-sized karaoke booth, made complete with a disco ball and sofas, that creates an ideal meeting place as the name suggests. The karaoke booth is located in Gallery One at FACT which is surrounded by photographs of a piece called ‘Shamebox’ in which the artist invites passers-by to sit in a storefront window and express their personal shame.
 | | Christian Jankowski |
A projection of 16mm Mystery is also located in Gallery One. In Gallery Two, located on the first floor in FACT are earlier pieces which include a staged video entitled ‘Holy Artwork’ depicting a televangelist using his preaching as a form of contemporary art and ‘Telemistica’, a piece that predicted itself using a chat-show phone-in of several Italian fortune tellers determining how the installation will run. The exhibition is an eclectic mixture of different ideas that have a common thread running through each installation, namely, the relationship between the public and popular culture. All of Jankowski's artwork on display appear interesting and cleverly thought through, with a subtle plot in each video that is often apparent and rarely humourless. Speaking in an interview with BBC Liverpool, Jankowski said: “Everything fell together is a survey show where everything I have done has literally fallen together. | "There are a lot of overlaps between art and religion, they deal with similar questions that we all need answers to." | | Christian Jankowski |
“This retrospective exhibition includes thirteen of my film and video installations all illustrated with photographs documenting the work. It has been very nostalgic to see parts of my work that date back to 1994 displayed next to contemporary pieces.” ‘My Life as a Dove’, being the most retrospective documented a magician who turns Jankowski into a dove for three weeks; ‘What Remains’- a film of New Yorkers opinions about films and a video installation called ‘This I Played Tomorrow’ casts Italy’s aspiring young actors in a sequence set in Cinecittà, 'the Italian Hollywood'. Born in Berlin and based in New York, Christian Jankowski often works with members of the public and other individuals, giving creative responsibility to his collaborators instead of taking the credit.
Speaking keenly of Liverpool, Christian said: “I am definitely coming back to the city again soon; I enjoy the art galleries such as Tate Liverpool and would want to experience more of the nightlife.”
Everything Falls together is being displayed in FACT until the 19 March 2006. Funding for the exhibition and related programs is provided by Altria Foundation and the Institute for Museum and Library Services. | 
