Enter no man's land

Hang out, have a glass of wine and enjoy a visual meditation on the theme of paradise lost as the installation/performance piece Expulsion by the Other Theatre happens over the next three nights at Station C (1450 Ste-Catherine E.). Devoted to exploring the experience of exile, Expulsion strives to inhabit "the no man's land between dreaming and waking life, that seemingly eternal moment where regret, nostalgia and desire meet."

Director Stacey Christodoulou brings together sound, video and performance in this first chapter in a trilogy. The audience is encouraged to walk freely through the space and experience the environment. As there is no story, the viewer is able to come and go as they please, watching anywhere from four minutes to four hours. The ticket price includes a glass of wine - a steal at $8. The show runs from 6–10 p.m. Dec. 16 and 18; 5–9 p.m. Dec. 17, 279-4853. » Christine Redfern

Xx vs. Xy

Are men really from Mars and women from Venus? Is there even that big a split between the sexes? That's the question O Vertigo choreographer Ginette Laurin poses through the language of modern dance in Labo N 1 Hommes/Femmes, a short work that splits the guys and gals into two groups and pours on the multimedia embellishments. The company presents the results in a one-night appearance at the SAT (1195 St-Laurent) Dec. 17 at 8 p.m, for $8, the first in a series of the SAT O Vertigo Dance Labs. Performers move to improvised electroacoustics before VJ Pillow and DJ Mademoiselle take over the soundscape with spins straight through to midnight. The series continues over the next couple of months, opening up the doors in dance exploration in non-conventional ways by bringing in collaborators in theatre and architecture. Call 251-9177 for more info. » Marites Carino

Infringe politics

Tomorrow's infringement festival benefit is the first in a series of "Infringe-again" off-season events. The upstart fest was fueled in part as a reaction to the alleged "over-corporatization" of Montreal's Fringe Festival (a saga that has also played out in the Mirror Letters section of late). "We encourage political artists," explains chaos organizer Jason McLean. "They don't have to be, but we hope to nurture political and critical artistic work."

The line-up boasts a heavy spoken word contingent, including Art Armstrong, Kasai Dear and Peter Green and Friends. According to McLean, there'll also be "very sexy, raunchy theatrical dancing" by the Dead Doll Dancers, plus a screening of the short film on Optative Theatrical Laboratories' most recent Buy Nothing Day action, in which they staged guerrilla agit-prop performances in a couple of Montreal Starbucks locations. Dec. 17, 9 p.m. at les Minots (3812 St-Laurent), $5. » Vincent Tinguely

Cosmic vistas

If you're searching for a little spirituality this holiday season, check out the expansive spaces of Bill Vazan's Cosmological Shadows at the Centre exposition de l'Université de Montréal (2940 Côte-Ste-Catherine). This weekend marks your last chance to experience the timeless feel that emerges in these photographs of the ancient lands of the Valley of the Kings in Egypt and the old stones and waterways of Quebec's north shore. The photo installations vary in scale from one to 30 feet and are grouped into different series called "Ovals," "Grids," "Membranes" and "Globes." Vazan manipulates multiple photographs in each work so they gel into these larger shapes when viewed from afar. Some of my favourites are his circular montages that, on a two-dimensional surface, mimic the experience of standing in a landscape and looking around in 360 degrees. It runs Today, Dec. 16 and Sunday, Dec. 19, noon–6 p.m., info: 343-6111, ext. 4694. » Christine Redfern

Is it Art?

LUSH LEACH: 'Tis the season of 4:30 sunsets, staff parties and family-sanctioned drinking, so an anti-hangover cure just might be the best early Christmas present you could give yourself. But which to choose? The Sober-X® Hangover Free Topical Patch claims an advantage over the many pills on the market because it doesn't require carefully timed pill-popping throughout the course of a night on the drink. Just slap one on and let the formula of milk thistle, artichoke, green tea and vitamin C do its thing while you do yours. Sober-X® is available at www.amazon.com, $24.95 (U.S.) for a one-month supply (12 patches).

ArtsHole

TRANNIE RIDE: Don't miss the last weekend of cult-classic rock-comedy-trannie-tragedy Hedwig and the Angry Inch, produced, directed and led by Robert Toms, which runs Dec. 17–18 at 8 p.m. and Dec. 19 at 3:30 p.m., at the Théâtre Nationale (1220 Ste-Catherine E., metro Beaudry), $20. • SEND IN THE CLOWN: Ex-member of San Francisco's renowned Pickle Family Circus and Montreal's Cirque Éloize Jamie Adkins brings his acrobatic antics to the Tohu (2435 Jarry E.) from Dec. 21–31, www.tohu.ca or 376-TOHU for more. • FRIP TRIP: The textile-recycling revolutionaries at St-Henri's non-profit fripperie La Gaillarde feature designer Ela Bos in this month's fashion show, taking place today, Dec. 16 at 7:30 p.m. Samples of Bos's work can be seen at www.elacreations.com.

ARTISTAT: Number of masters and doctoral students lending their expertise to the posse of international artists working on the Hexagram project, a joint venture between Concordia University and UQÀM to "make Montreal a showcase for excellence in media arts and technologies" (more info at www.hexagram.org): 250

>> Arts Listings