From the belly of
the beast

Au Pied de Cochon has just celebrated its fifth anniversary. What started out a little on the haphazard side back in 2001 (toilet plungers as lighting fixtures?) quickly evolved into the restaurant that has been the standard bearer for Montreal’s most recent culinary revival.

Commemorating this occasion, Martin Picard and his talented team have recently released a multimedia package entitled Au Pied de Cochon: The Album. Inside, you’ll find recipes for all of the restaurant’s catch-as-catch-can classics, like its trademark foie gras poutine, but you’ll also find hundreds of photographs, artworks, underground comics and a witty DVD containing two hours of behind-the-scenes mayhem, odes to the local terroir and a series of cooking show send-ups that attempt to out-PDC the PDC. Like the restaurant it celebrates, the whole package works, managing to capture the energy and the irreverence that continue to make Au Pied de Cochon so totally unique. For more information, visit www.restaurantaupieddecochon.ca —A.J. Kinik

Murder she wrote

In 1933, a French mother and her daughter were brutally murdered by their long-time housekeepers in a shocking course of events that made headlines all over the country. “The crime was really horrible and violent,” says choreographer Karina Iraola. “They cut up the bodies of the victims like you would prepare a chicken!”

Compelled by the events, Iraola wove the story into Les soeurs Papin, named after the sisters who committed the crime. Drawing from her background in theatre, flamenco and contemporary dance, she structures the choreography through a narrator, an eccentric Spanish mother who decides to put on a play about the crime with her three daughters. Iraola plays the mother, performing with her cousin Patricia Iraola as well as Anne-Marie Provost.

The other half of the same evening features Switch, a sensorial quartet by Séverine Lombardo—part of the double program inaugurating the Split Stage series at Tangente (840 Cherrier). The series transforms the space of the intimate dance venue so that dancers are up even closer to the audience. It runs until Nov. 26, (514) 525-1500 or www.tangente.qc.ca. —Marites Carino

Publication nation

With over 200 exhibitors, Expozine’s fifth anniversary edition is a veritable orgy of talent. “Obviously, publishing is not dead,” quips zine maven, Distroboto majordomo and Expozine co-organizer Louis Rastelli. Along with the usual rowdy zinesters, small press publishers and graphic novelists, this year welcomes artists’ publications and multiples courtesy of galleries Articule, la Centrale and others. Expect raffles, prizes, t-shirts and a post-fair anniversary party.

“It could have a nice extended lounge atmosphere, especially for publishers who’ve come in from outside of the city,” says Rastelli. “They can talk shop, share war stories.” The party features Corey Frost, launching a revamped edition of My Own Devices, Vancouver’s Ryan Arnold, launching The Coward Files, Simon Paquet with Stéphane Surprenant, Stéphanie Millar and MC Jean Giscagne. Zine fair: Saturday, Nov. 25, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. (5035 St-Dominique). Birthday party: same location, 10 p.m., free. Info: www.expozine.ca —Vincent Tinguely

Stop breathing

An international selection of gifted, 30-something artists is what you’ll encounter in the exhibition Take My Breath Away, currently showing at la Centrale (4296 St-Laurent). Once you get that irritating ’80s hit by the band Berlin out of your head, you’ll be happy to know that the exhibition is not filled with schmaltzy, love images or linked in any way with Tom Cruise or Top Gun.

The seven artist assemblage—hailing from Berlin, London, Athens, Amsterdam and Montreal—were asked to respond to the words “Take my Breath Away” and their visual replies run the gamut from beauty to annihilation. A version of the exhibition was presented in London in 2003, but several of the current works were created specifically for La Centrale’s space. Stop by and see complex and baroque drawings by Athens-based Eleni Kamma, the fantastical worlds of Berlin’s Daniela Klein and Erika Arzt, and multidisciplinary work by London’s Cat Barich, Amsterdam’s Claire Harvey and Montrealers Catherine Bolduc and Noémi McComber. Runs until January 7, info: 871-0268. —Christine Redfern

Is it Art?

FACES AND FIGURES: It may seem like a stretch, but according to 2005 Canadian Cosmetic Enhancement Survey Findings, 642,828 Canadians went under the knife last year. Twelve per cent of those were Quebeckers, totalling 77,139 and spending some $35,945,229 on—in the following order—liposuction, breast augmentation, non-surgical facelifts, Botox, injectables and surgical facelifts. Over 85 per cent of all cosmetic procedures are performed on women in Canada, 42 per cent of whom reside in Ontario. Are you loving these stats, while simultaneously stealing glimpses down your imperfect nose at your sagging breasts? Find more discomforting stats and new industry happenings at www.medicard.com/canadian_stats.php.

ArtsHole

FULL SPECTRUM AHEAD: Kick the grey days away with Stéphanie Prest’s new collection of canvasses, giving bold-colour treatment to happy things like parties, blooming flowers and summer light. They’re at the equally radiant clothing boutique General 54 (54 St-Viateur W.), vernissage Friday, Nov. 24, from 7–10 p.m. • RAVE PARC: Erik Slutsky (no relation to Mark) turns his solo show of urban paintings into a “truly Montreal experience” by inviting local writers to read and serving food from such quintessential kitchens as Schwartz’s Deli and St-Viateur Bagel at the Park Ave. Party, at Galerie Gora (279 Sherbrooke W., #205), this Tuesday, Nov. 28, from 5–7 p.m.

ARTISTAT: Number of prints created by members and invited artists of Galerie Circulaire (5445 Gaspé, #503) on sale for $100 each as a fundraiser for the printmaking locale, Dec. 1–16: 300+

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