Spectacle: The Music Video – the first ever museum retrospective of the artform of music video has just opened at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati.

Spectacle explores the music video format as an important and influential art form in contemporary culture, employing immersive environments, photography, video screenings, objects and interactive installations. The history of the medium is charted from the early pioneering work of Devo, to the mainstream icon-building by Michael Jackson and Madonna, to present day exponents OK Go and Lady Gaga.

The work of important music video directors such as Michel Gondry, David Fincher, Spike Jonze and Mark Romanek is highlighted – but everything from A-Ha’s Take On Me videos to Chris Milk’s experiments in music video interactivity for Arcade Fire and Johnny Cash is included in the exhibition.

And Spectacle also uses the museum environment to display the art and craft that went into the making of some of the most groundbreaking music videos ever made. Just some of the artefacts on show are:

• The original, never-­before-­exhibited drawings by animation directors Michael Patterson and Candace Reckinger for A-­Ha’s “Take On Me” video, directed by Steve Barron; and a recreation of a set piece from the video.
• A human-­size Milky from Hammer & Tongs’ Blur video “Coffee and TV,” recreated especially for the exhibition
• Original art and objects from Björk’s “Wanderlust,” directed by Encyclopedia Pictura, and a 3D screening room for viewing the video.
• OK Go jump suits and paint guns from the award-­winning “This Too Shall Pass” video, co-­directed by James Frost and the band.
• Exclusive art photography from Floria Sigismondi, Stephane Sednaoui, Andreas Nilsson, Melodie McDaniel, Martin de Thurah, Arni & Kinski, Chris Milk shot on the sets of their videos.

This groundbreaking exhibition is curated by Jonathan Wells and Meg Grey Wells of Flux, and runs from March 3rd to September 3rd 2012 at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati – a building designed by Zaha Hadid, and the first of the famous architect’s designs to be built – and will tour cities in North America and beyond thereafter.