THIS COULD BE YOURS:
“Sweet Pea” by Stephen Schofield

So maybe a Paul-Émile Borduas painting is a little beyond your means, but that doesn’t mean your walls have to suffer the indignity of beaten-up Scarface posters forever.

The second annual Papier Contemporary Art Fair, which runs from Oct. 23–26 at 1 Westmount Square, aims to showcase the best of contemporary Quebec art, but since the exhibition is limited to works on paper, some of them may actually be affordable (prices start at $250).

Tomorrow night’s opening (Oct. 24 at 6 p.m.) will give the curious an opportunity to browse all 500 works on display, which include drawings, etchings, prints, photographs and artist books.

“You’ll be able to find classics of Quebec art such as Jean-Paul Riopelle as well as emerging artists like Jérôme Fortin and René Derouin, who are just beginning to find their place in museums,” says Grégory Kunz of the Contemporary Art Galleries Association (AGAC), the organization behind the fair.

Kunz says the collaborative nature of the fair means that gallery owners will be more approachable. “They like the works they chose. This setting will make it easy for people to go up to them and ask why they chose the works they did.”

For details, go to www.agac.qc.ca/papier.

by MATT JONES

Up and coming art

OUT OF THIS WORLD:
Malo’s “Something Missing in the Middle”

You have to stay on your toes to keep up with the schedule at the Emporium Gallery (3035 St-Antoine W., #74). A labour of love for local photographer/designer Ben Pobjoy, the gallery does its part for the independent art community, opening its doors to up-and-comers with one-week showings that allow for a greater number of young artists to have their work seen.

Opening tonight, Thursday, Oct. 23, with a vernissage at 7 p.m., is an exhibition of new drawings entitled The Art of Getting Along by about-towner Kit Malo, the artist and illustrator who worked tirelessly, both in front of and behind the scenes, to make the Art Pop extravaganza a success.

Described as someone who “likes pencil and pen scratches a bit too much,” Malo nurtures this obsession with drawings that use otherworldly beasts to explore innately human needs such as connectedness and community.

Floating above the invisible city, these morphing creatures seem to yearn for something out of reach, holding fast to those around them, their gentle, knowing smiles an indication that everything is going to be okay.

The gallery is open from Thursday to Sunday. They also maintain a fantastic up-to-date Web site. For more information: www.theemporiumgallery.com.

by STACEY DEWOLFE

 

Poet conflicted

CAA-award-winning poet Asa Boxer feels a little conflicted about his cultural identity. “I don’t know what it means to be a poet,” says Boxer. “How does a poet behave, exactly? If people ask, I tell them that I’m a teacher.”

IDENTITY POLITICS: Boxer

Maybe his reticence has something to do with Canadians’ generally chilly attitude towards the arts; he found a more sympatico sense of self recently at the Festival International de la Poésie de Trois-Rivières. “Interestingly, if I meet a European or a South American, I tell them I’m a poet,” says Boxer.

He’ll be reading some of his best poems from The Mechanical Bird tonight (Oct. 23) at the Westmount Public Library (4574 Sherbrooke W., 7 p.m.), and on Sunday night (Oct. 26) at Ye Olde Orchard Pub (20 Prince Arthur W., 7:30 p.m.) as part of a gala line-up of Montreal poets celebrating the 30th anniversary of Arc magazine. Both events are free.

by VINCENT TINGUELY

Solo return

After years of choreographing for others, José Navas returns to the spotlight in his new solo show Miniatures. Using his personal history as inspiration and backstory, Navas lets his past carry him into the present in the seven short pieces that make up the work.

BACK AT IT: Navas

Since founding his own dance company, Flak, in 1995, Navas, who grew-up in Venezuela and studied dance in New York before moving here in 1991, has been a constant on the Montreal stage. He last performed for local audiences alongside members of his troupe in 2006’s Anatomies. But not since 2001’s Solo With Cello has Navas been centre stage in his own production.

Known for his physical and boundary-pushing productions, Miniatures, which opens tonight, Thursday, Oct. 23 at Agora de la Danse (840 Cherrier), seeks to share Navas’s unconditional love of dance. Set to music that he says has a personal meaning—everything from Bach and Vivaldi to Judy Garland—Navas looks ready to chart a new course.

by SACHA JACKSON

Is it art?

PLAY AND RADIATE: Past the age of 13, it gets difficult to show off your toys without people thinking you’re weird. But the new LEGO-style radiator lets you get away with it.

Created by designer Marco Baxadonne for Italian radiator specialists Scirocco, the radiator isn’t made out of real LEGO but rather a reasonable rip-off called Brick. Baxadonne used the LEGO exterior to cunningly hide the copper pipes and inner workings of a regular energy efficient radiator.

Unlike normal radiators however, this one comes with a double plumbing connection, one for the heating system and one to connect the bricks. And just like regular LEGO, the radiator comes with extra pieces that snap on to the existing frame, so you can play and change the look and shape of your radiator anytime you like.

www.sciroccoh.it

Arts hole

GET ARTY: Articule (262 Fairmount W.) invites you to get cutting and pasting this Saturday, Oct. 25 at Celebrity Monster Makeover. The entire afternoon (1–4 p.m.) will be dedicated to the collage workshop, inspired by the work of artist Emily Bennett Beck. Participants will be able to create their very own nightmare celebrities using imagination, glue and trashy magazines. Materials will be provided but participants are asked to bring along a glue stick and scissors. Pay what you can.
• EXPOSED: Montreal’s third annual EXPO art starts today, Oct. 23 at Place Bonaventure with more than 60 international exhibitors showing off their stuff. Tickets are $15 at the door and the expo continues until Sunday, Oct. 26.

Artistat

The title of photographer Martin Rondeau’s latest show featuring hi-gloss, hi-definition models, currently on view at Espace B51: 38” 18” 33”