Mirror remix
JUMPING JOAN: Spiegel
A little more than 20 years ago, a virtually unknown young, Belgian chorographer presented his first piece, What the Body Does Not Remember, in New York City. The bold work sent shock waves through the dance community because of its sense of danger, originality and physicality, thus launching Wim Vandekeybus’s international career.
The prolific Vandekeybus, now 44, decided to cast a look back at the works he’s created with his company
Ultima Vez over its two decades of existence. “I don’t like the idea of redoing something. I’m more interested in doing something new,” says the choreographer, filmmaker and photographer from his cell phone in Brussels.
For Spiegel (Mirror), Vandekeybus and his dancers culled key scenes from his body of work, including his first, and assembled and remixed them into this piece that captures the company’s evolution.
“We see the rough, brutal language from Ulitma Vez from the beginning.” Unlike the other cities on this world tour, Vandekeybus dances in the Montreal edition of the charged 75-minute piece that runs until April 26, 8 p.m., at the Théâtre Maisonneuve. Info: (514) 842-2112.
by MARITES CARINO
Sugar sugar
BITTERSWEET: “Sugar Carpet #3”The old industrial hub of Montreal is one of my favourite places to wander when the weather turns warm. So last Saturday’s sunshine found me down at the Darling Foundry (745 Ottawa) to see local artist Aude Moreau’s “Sugar Carpet #3.” I wasn’t prepared for just how stunningly beautiful two and a half tons of white sugar can be.
Moreau has somehow managed to spread the sugar perfectly flat across the old floor in the foundry’s huge space. As soon as I saw the work, it brought to mind thoughts of a big blank canvas. And what picture does Moreau paint for us across this vast space?
In an accompanying article by Scott Toguri McFarlane, the installation becomes a sort of magic carpet ride. It takes us back in time to when Canadian cod was salted and shipped to the Caribbean to feed the slaves on sugar plantations.
The raw sugarcane then came back to this neighbourhood when Redpath opened the first sugar refinery here in 1854. The ride continues up to our present state of obesity and cultural production. Lots of food for thought.
Until June 1, info: (514) 392-1554, www.fonderiedarling.org.
by CHRISTINE REDFERN
Picks from Blue Met
Writers from all over the world will be coming to Montreal next week (April 30–May 4) as part of Blue Metropolis Literary Festival.
The five days of festivities will be chockfull of everything from panel discussions, readings and interviews to book launches, but if words aren’t your thing, there  are a number of (almost) wordless works to get you in the spirit of all things bound.
German comic artist Anke Feuchtenberger, who grew up in East Berlin and studied graphics before turning fulltime to comics and illustration, speaks with the Mirror’s Rupert Bottenberg as part of the festival’s Face to Face series. You can catch it for free Wednesday, April 30 at 8 p.m. at the Goethe Institut (418 Sherbrooke E.).
Feuchtenberger’s book W the Whore (written in collaboration with Katrin DeVries) is also on view at the Goethe Institut and you can hear her thoughts and experiences about growing up in the German Democratic Republic at Beyond Communism, Saturday, May 3 at 5 p.m. in a panel discussion along with writers from Russia, Serbia, Croatia and Hungary at le Royer at Hotel Delta (777 University), $5.
See the Web site for full festival details, www.bluemetropolis.org
by SACHA JACKSON
Dancing days, here again
Festivities are in full swing for the citywide Pas de danse, pas de vie, part of worldwide celebrations for UNESCO’s International Dance Day.
Put on by the Regroupement québécois de la danse, the annual event celebrates dance by offering a smorgasbord of free activities like performances, open houses and dance classes.
If you’re curious about a certain type of dance, step into one of the more than 50 types of freebie trial classes up for grabs. There’s everything from yoga-dance to hip hop and African, you choose.
If you’d rather sit back and watch, La 2e Porte à Gauche presents 7 1/2 à part, a work assembled by six choreographers that takes place in a Plateau apartment—address to be revealed later.
Then on closing day, Sunday, April 27, the action starts at 11 a.m. with SquatDanse, where more than 125 artists will take over all the nooks and crannies at the Théâtre Maisonneuve at Place des Arts.
Meander through the cavernous theatre and keep an eye out for dance in the orchestra pit, coat check and showers. Get the complete scoop at www.quebecdanse.org.
by MARITES CARINO
Is it art?
FOLLOW YOUR NOSE: Kellogg’s has already conquered your breakfast table and now they are laying siege on your wardrobe.
 You too can brand yourself with your favourite cereal character with Under the Hood, Kellogg’s new streetwear line. You’ll find Snap, Crackle and Pop hawking their line of hoodies, t-shirts and jeans, alongside Tony the Tiger, a beefed-up Cornelius (the Cornflakes rooster), Tucan Sam (Froot Loops) and Dig ’Em Frog (from Honey Smacks).
Drawing inspiration from classic streetwear styles, these duds also go for classic streetwear prices, $40 t-shirts, hoodies for $100 and jazzified jeans tipping the scales at $120.
Though the line is available in various stores across the States, us Canadians, sadly, can only shop online. Cruise the collection at www.underthehood.com
Arts
hole
OTHER DIMENSIONS: The Belgo welcomes the latest gallery to join their fleet, tonight Thursday, April 24 at 6 p.m. when Galerie Division (372 Ste-Catherine W. # 311), opens its doors and celebrates with its inaugural vernissage and show, Prismatic Spray. The group show features the work of Barry Allikas, Leslie Bell, Sonia Haberstich, Pierre Julien and Russell Tyler and runs until May 24.• LIGHT UP MY LIFE: Commissaires (5226 St-Laurent) presents a lighting installation by South Korean designer Kwangho Lee. “Comme une forêt de fil” is the title of a collection of lamps that have been knitted and shaped by Lee out of electrical wire. The vernissage takes place tonight, Thursday, April 24 at 6 p.m. and the show runs until early June.
Artistat
The number of books of poetry and fiction that Calgary-based writer Natalee Caple can pull from during her reading tonight, April 24 at 7 p.m. at the Atwater Library (1200 Atwater) as part of the Atwater Poetry Project: 4 |
