A-hunting we will go

The popular refrains from old hunting songs have not been sung so lustily around these parts for quite some time, but the love of the chase is enjoying a resurgence of sorts, thanks to the new exhibition Hunting Gallery by Nicolas Baier at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. The current prey are 17 of Baier’s photographic works that are “hiding” throughout the museum’s permanent collection.

So often, contemporary art and historical masterpieces are kept apart, with each having its own space—or even separate museums. Fans of the traditional fine arts often view contemporary art with scepticism, and vice versa. In one swoop Baier has ripped out the divide between the two, and, alongside curator Stéphane Aquin, turned present-day curatorial practice on its head with this fabulous and witty presentation. The viewing experience is stronger with the visual links between past and present work emerging quite effortlessly through their juxtaposition. Their placement creates a framework to look critically at both Baier’s pieces and works in our local permanent collection, some of which, I’m embarrassed to say, had not previously captured my attention. Hunting Gallery runs until May 28. —Christine Redfern

Paint trooper

After years of group work as one third of the HVW8 collective, touring with music festivals and plenty of live painting collaboration, the very talented Gene Pendon (aka Gene Starship) recently unveiled his first solo show in eight years at Salon Daomé (141 Mont-Royal E.)

New Works sidesteps the all-encompassing-theme model, focusing rather on what Pendon summarizes as “distinct reflections on themes of interest and explorations into compositional treatments of freestyle line work, graphic motifs and iconography. “Runners,” pictured here, is inspired by Olympic sprinter images from the ’76 Montreal Olympics. “Greensboro” depicts the Greensboro 4, four black college students who sat down at the “whites only” lunch counter at a Woolworth’s in 1960, stirring up non-violent anti-segregation actions across the U.S. And yet another standout is “Chewie, we hardly knew you,” a visual ode to our big hairy friend from outer space, who, says Pendon, “you could always count on when chased by Storm Troopers.” Vernissage this Friday, April 7, 7:30–10 p.m., show continues until May 1. —Matthew Woodley

City stories

This spring, the bubbling fount of creativity that is Paula Belina has birthed a full-length poetry CD, Paint a city coat on you, my wall. “The CD hasn’t any conclusions to it, though it feels like an ending of some sort,” says Belina. “I wanted it to have enough breathing room for people to have questions at the end, like, ‘Does she like/dislike the city?’ It’s not necessarily an homage to the city, they’re just my particular stories.” The launch features performances by fellow poet and collaborator CT Staples, singing spoken worder and “natural born mama” Kyra Shaughnessey, and poet-beatboxer Nick Soden. Expect the unexpected this Friday, April 7, 9 p.m., at Cafe Esperanza, (5490 St-Laurent) three bones or pay-what-you-can. —Vincent Tinguely

Ilk and human kindness

When choreographer Deborah Dunn creates, she likes to look back into time. “The room goes to black and then you can go anywhere,” she explains. “I guess I like visiting these images and places from the past. I’ve never really been comfortable with the here and now.”

This week, Dunn performs in two of her works at Tangente (840 Cherrier). In her Macbeth’s Wife solo, she borrows Lady Macbeth’s lines from the play and toys with the concepts of ambition and guilt. The program is rounded out with a work for five entitled Elegant Heathens that explores shifting power structures and violence through a quirky kind of royal family composed of a king, queen, princess, general and a fool. Step into Dunn’s theatrical and imaginative world that’s topped off with a dash of humour April 7 at 8 p.m., April 8 at 2:30 and 8:30 p.m., and April 9 at 4 p.m., $15, 525-1500. —Marites Carino

Is it Art?

WIRED WILLIES: Internet hoaxes, online shopping fraud, auction safety and identity theft are no laughing matter, but somehow techno-cultural comedian and I-take-the-eek-out-of-geek-meister Mr. Modem can help you with your computer problems and make you pee your pants at the same time. The man, who’s courageous enough to combine the terms “technological” and “humorist” and label himself thus, has been providing tips for years through his syndicated column and Phoenix, Arizona-based radio show, and he’s now available for anyone who can point their browser to www.mrmodem.com. Have fun.

ArtsHole

ON SPOT: An assortment of spontaneous, extroverted and no-doubt hilarious people go head-to-head this weekend at the first annual Montreal Improv Fest. If the participants’ collective total of five Just for Laughs championships, five Canadian Comedy Awards, seven International Gold Medals, one Gemini and one Dora isn’t enough to get you down to Comedyworks (1238 Bishop) between April 6–9, we don’t know what is. Check out www.onthespotimprov.ca/improvfest06/index.htm for all he festival info. • ART OF NOISE: Making maximum racket with minimal instruments is the name of Minibloc’s game, and if that sounds sweet, head down to Galerie B-312 (372 Ste-Catherine W., #403) tonight, Thursday, April 6, at 8 p.m., to witness the duo of Anne-Françoise Jacques and Nicolas Dion at work.

ARTISTAT: Number of Parc-Ex children, between six–12 years old, who participated in the 2004 workshop and exhibition Chez Soi—making things that reflect their take on “home”—now the newest visual arts publication put out by the MAI (3680 Jeanne-Mance) and available now: 16

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