by CHRISTINE REDFERN

When it comes to performance art and tech, Janet Lumb is out to push boundaries. “I don’t like to always see a classical musician perform with other classical musicians, and VJs and DJs always happening at techno spaces,” says the curator of the annual 8 Moments event and director of Accès Asie. “I like to mix and match and break people’s assumptions.”

8 Moments unfolds each year at the artist-run centre Oboro in conjunction with Asian Heritage Month. The event is both Webcast and staged live as artists from different cities improvise with each other by means of live-streaming. In the original 8 Moments there wasn’t much definition. The technology would freeze and was so jerky that the camera had to focus on something that didn’t move. With the 30–40 second delay, it was more of a game than an online performance. With consistent improvement every year, the upcoming eighth edition will be a groundbreaking one. There is now a Web site (www.oboro.tv/moments), and a publication tracing the history of the event will be launched following the performances in May. But the biggest change is that for the first time, curator Lumb has decided to make music the main focus. The eight- to 15-second audio delay makes improvisation, says Lumb, “more of a challenge, but a lot of fun.”

The artists selected to perform in the upcoming 8 Moments are pianist Lee Pui Ming, VJ Pillow and DJ Mana. Toronto-based Ming is a classically trained, pianist who prefers the wilder world of musique actuelle. “Ming is very excited by the completely novel experience of jamming with DJ Mana and VJ Pillow,” says Lumb. “Ming is the kind of piano player who goes inside the piano and plucks around, makes sounds with plastic bags and sings Chinese pop songs.” Be a part of 8 Moments at Oboro (4001 Berri) May 13 at 2 p.m.