Tracey Emin's work in film and video spans over three decades, offering a deeply personal and evocative insight into her life, emotions, and artistic endeavors. Her video works, like her other mediums, serve as a conduit for Emin's raw, unfiltered expressions, covering a spectrum from her earliest traumas to her musings on love, loneliness, and self-reflection.
One of the early standout pieces in Emin's filmography is "Why I Never Became a Dancer" (1995), a Super 8 film that doubles as a projection. This work is a poignant exploration of Emin's teenage experiences and her triumph over the adversities she faced in her youth. Another significant work, "How It Feels" (1996), addresses Emin's personal experience with abortion, showcasing her exceptional ability to convey complex emotions and narratives through the moving image (Xavier Hufkens) (Flash Art).
Emin's video "Homage to Edvard Munch and all My Dead Children" (1998), continues her tradition of melding personal history with artistic homage, this time paying tribute to one of her most significant influences, Edvard Munch. Through this and other works, Emin establishes a dialogue not only with her viewers but also with the legacy of artists who have shaped her creative vision (Xavier Hufkens).
Her body of video works includes titles such as "Reading Keys" (1999), "Sometimes the Dress is Worth More Money Than the Money" (2000), and "You Made Me Feel Like This" (2017), each contributing to a nuanced portrayal of Emin's life and thoughts. These works, among others, were showcased in the exhibition "Video Works, 1995—2017" at Xavier Hufkens, marking the first comprehensive survey of Emin’s prolific output in video art. The exhibition underscored the vital role of film and video in Emin's oeuvre, revealing the breadth and depth of her engagement with the medium (Xavier Hufkens) (Flash Art).
Through her films, Emin has established herself as an artist unafraid to confront and explore the intricacies of human emotion, identity, and experience. Her video works, characterized by their intimacy and candidness, stand as a testament to her enduring impact on contemporary art.