Test Tube (1979)

Produced by De Appel, Amsterdam, while General Idea was in residence there, Test Tube was conceived as a program for television. Presented under the brand "The Color Bar Lounge," a cocktail bar in the mythical 1984 Miss General Idea Pavilion, the program is a hybrid of popular television formats […] and infomercial. […] Advertisements for the bar are placed throughout the program; a loaded word choice, full of double-entendres and innuendo, betrays the influence of both Dadaism and consumerism. This collapse of popular and high culture is central to General Idea's agenda, as Felix Partz observes: "You know, the mass media are like a vast pharmaceutical complex developing new cultural elixirs of an unprecedented intoxication…but art remains a curious and elitist drink. Despite its unique flavor and heady cultural properties, it has never effectively been exploited."

Director: General Idea
Genre: TV Movie
Runtime: 28 min
Release Date:

Cast

Screenplay

Production: De Appel
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Original Language: en

Keywords

art

More Films by Director: General Idea
More Films in Genre: TV Movie

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Test Tube about?
Produced by De Appel, Amsterdam, while General Idea was in residence there, Test Tube was conceived as a program for television. Presented under the brand "The Color Bar Lounge," a cocktail bar in the mythical 1984 Miss General Idea Pavilion, the program is a hybrid of popular television formats […] and infomercial. […] Advertisements for the bar are placed throughout the program; a loaded word choice, full of double-entendres and innuendo, betrays the influence of both Dadaism and consumerism. This collapse of popular and high culture is central to General Idea's agenda, as Felix Partz observes: "You know, the mass media are like a vast pharmaceutical complex developing new cultural elixirs of an unprecedented intoxication…but art remains a curious and elitist drink. Despite its unique flavor and heady cultural properties, it has never effectively been exploited."
Who directed Test Tube?
Test Tube was directed by General Idea.
Who stars in Test Tube?
Test Tube stars AA Bronson, Felix Partz, Jorge Zontal, Marina Abramović, Titus Muizelaar, Wies Smals.
How long is Test Tube?
Test Tube has a runtime of 28m (28 minutes).
What genre is Test Tube?
Test Tube is a TV Movie film.
Where was Test Tube produced?
Test Tube was produced in Netherlands.