Make like Maliphant

When Ottawa-born choreographer Russell Maliphant brought his company to Montreal to perform at the now-defunct Festival International de Nouvelle Danse in 2001, they deservingly walked away with the prix du public. This week, the London-based troupe is finally returning to the city with a triple-bill that’s sure to please.

After dancing many years with the prestigious Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet, Maliphant decided to leave it behind and work independently to explore other types of movement. Envisioning dance as moving sculpture, he turned to contact improvisation, yoga, tai chi and capoeira to fuel his fluid choreographic style.

Maliphant’s program showcases a trio of recent works such as Transmission, an all-female quintet set to a soundscape by Brit artist Mukul. For this piece, Maliphant continues his longtime collaboration with master lighting designer Michael Hulls. The choreographer has remounted his sensual duo Push and then performs solo to the music of J.S. Bach in One Part II. He’s on stage nightly at 8 p.m. at the Centre Pierre Péladeau (300 de Maisonneuve W.) until Dec. 9., $35, (514) 842-2112. —Marites Carino

Inside aerosol

Pacific-hopping spraypaint maverick Omen is showing a new batch of paintings, one part product of recent time in Taiwan and Thailand, the other part Montreal made. He calls it Inside Out.

“Well, I fucked up and wanted to call it Inside In,” he clarifies. “I just got back from Asia, it’s too cold to paint outside and I can’t run, so I did most of this stuff inside, in what’s pretty much a closet.”

The paintings are classic, expressive Omen, which means photorealistic faces sprayed in different shades of grey, with Asian-esque inflections he calls “stylized nothingness.” Something less familiar is one full-colour piece. Hey, why not? Inside Out opens Friday, Dec. 8, 8 p.m., at le Kopshop (111 Roy. E). Check out Omen’s work, including a nifty, animated work-in-progress image at www.omen514.com. —Matthew Woodley

Pompeii calling

Victor Burgin first came to Montreal as part of the exhibition British Painting at the British Pavilion during Expo 67. Since then, he has made an international name for himself with his art and criticism involving the still and moving image, as well as for calling painting “the anachronistic daubing of woven fabrics with coloured mud.”

Tonight, Dec. 7, you can hear him yourself in conversation with curator Hubertus von Amelunxen at the opening of his exhibition Victor Burgin: Voyage to Italy, 6 p.m., free, at the Canadian Centre for Architecture (1920 Baile). The exhibition was inspired by an 1864 photograph by Carlo Fratacci that shows a woman standing amongst the ruins of Pompeii. Burgin responds to this photograph, which is a part of the museum’s archives and also in the exhibition, with a video projection and a series of texts and black-and-white photographs. The exhibition continues until March 25, (514) 939-7026. —Christine Redfern

Watching the reels

In 1976, 20th Century Fox thought it would be a good idea to combine archival footage and propaganda from the Second World War with cover versions of late-era Lennon/McCartney songs. The soundtrack was recorded by the likes of Elton John, the Bee Gees and Peter Gabriel. The movie bombed at the box office, panned by both the critics and the public alike. So 20th Century Fox changed its mind and thought it would be a better idea to destroy every copy of the film and just pretend it never existed.

Recently, this lost film resurfaced and became available as a bootleg DVD.

All This and World War II will be screened this Saturday, Dec. 9, 7:30 p.m. sharp, at Articule (262 Fairmount W.). After the movie, which lasts approximately 90 minutes, stick around for a panel discussion on what the hell they were thinking with curator Graham Hall, Elena Razlogova, professor of public history at Concordia University, and the Mirror’s own Rupert Bottenberg. Info: (514) 842-9686. —Christine Redfern

Is it Art?

ART OF CHEAP EATS: In a city with almost 5,000 restaurants, it’s funny how often we play it safe at our trusty standbys. A quick flip through Resto à Go-Go, just released in its second edition, ought to change that quickly. What’s your mood? Something spicy? Eats on the run? Exotic breakfast? Bring your own wine? A more novel experience—say, a raw-only restaurant or over-the-top tiki joint? It’s all in there, and extra appetizing is that the book specializes in places you can eat for under $20. Written by former Mirror, now Gazette, dining critic Sarah Musgrave, the 2007 edition comes with a heaping of new restaurants and watering holes, plus BYOW and tapas sections. Launch this Monday, Dec. 11, 7:30 p.m., at le Sergent Recruteur (4801 St-Laurent).

Resto à Go-Go: 200 Cheap and Fun Places to Eat and Drink in Montreal, Véhicule Press, $16.95.

ArtsHole

DESERT STORM: Actor Paul Van Dyck is performing his solo play Sahara Crossing at the Théâtre Ste-Catherine (264 Ste-Catherine E.), directed by Robin Henderson. Produced by Underdog, the play is inspired by Van Dyck’s own travels across a dozen African nations. To Dec. 9, 8 p.m., (514) 284-3939. • BEND IT LIKE BACH: Dancer Mariko Tanabe teams up with the ridiculously expressive improvisational violinist Malcolm Goldstein in an interpretation of Bach’s “Sarabande: Partita in D Minor” hereto known as Sarabande – Partition du Corps, at the Église du Gésu (1200 Bleury), Dec. 14–15, 8 p.m., $12–$18, (514) 861-4036.

ARTISTAT: Number of designers/craftspeople/companies with tables at this weekend’s arts and Christmas craft-stravaganza Souk@sat (1195 St-Laurent), Dec. 8–9, noon–9 p.m., and Dec. 10, noon–5 p.m.: 87

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