Malin TV

Malin is what the Chinese made of Maring – an alias used by Henk Sneevliet. By now, he is probably best known for the Amsterdam metro stop named after him, but who was Sneevliet? Artist Gyz La Rivière is the TV reporter and newsreader who regales his viewers with the tale of the man’s impressive past. Born in Rotterdam, Sneevliet became a passionate communist who left for Russia and China, where he hung out with the likes of Lenin and Mao.

By now all but forgotten, Sneevliet forms the starting point of Gyz La Rivière’s Malin TV, a drily comedic film essay that interlaces amongst others, the Rotterdam housing crisis, skyscrapers in contemporary Shanghai and Shenzhen, and the first Chinese restaurants in the Rotterdam neighbourhood of Katendrecht. La Rivière ties this all together with his unique sense of humour, while we hear local punk band Tramhaus chanting Rotterdam’s slogan: Make it happen.

Gyz La Rivière is a visual artist who does not restrict himself to film; he also produces installations, graphic art, neon works, publications and ready-mades. Whichever his medium, his work is always characterised by the combination of his signature philosophy and humour. Several museums feature La Rivière’s work in their collection.

– Christiaan Boesenach