EXPERIMENTING WITH FILM: Still from Presents

Fans of experimental cinema will want to clear their schedules tonight, Thursday, March 19, as DHC/ART (468 St-Jean) plays host to Michael Snow.

Considered one of the country’s most important artists, Snow’s work goes beyond the simple act of creating to exploring the manifold possibilities of the medium he has chosen to work with at the time, be it photography, painting, music or film.

Presents (1981) is a perfect example. Comprised of two distinct parts, the feature-length film opens with a loose storyline that challenges the expectations attached to narrative cinema, and then shifts into collage.

That the gallery has chosen to show this film during the final weeks of the Christian Marclay show is no coincidence: the two have collaborated in the past, and though their work differs in many ways, visitors will notice similarities between Presents and some of the Marclay videos on display.

This is a rare opportunity to see one of the great works of Canadian experimental cinema, projected in its original 16mm format, and introduced by its creator. Seating is limited, for both the 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. screenings, so best to contact the gallery before you head down.

by STACEY DEWOLFE

MFA’s take off

NIGHTSCENE: Nieminen’s “Figure 1”

Concordia’s MFA students are closing their books and opening their portfolios this Saturday, March 21 at Art Mûr (5826 St-Hubert), as the gallery plays host to the school’s annual exhibition. Appropriately titled Time Off, the show features work from over 70 fine arts students and various medias, from painting to sculpture, video and performance.

“All of us are taking time off from our studies in order to attempt something crazy—showing together in one space and off campus,” says Caroline Boileau, organizer and Open Media student.

Erik Nieminen, who’s completing an MFA in painting and drawing, will be showing “Figure 1,” a painting based on a photo taken of a bustling New York sidewalk late at night. His work captures the narrative in everyday life, focusing on precise and odd moments of introspection that occur within the frenzy of urban living.

Nieminen credits the program with loosening up technical aspects and encouraging students to experiment conceptually. “Almost nobody leaves the program doing the same work they were doing when they entered,” he says. “For the most part, we’re all young artists so this is great exposure.” The vernissage takes place from 1–5 p.m.

by LIDIA DI NALLO

 

Dance in the blind spot

by MARITES CARINO

First Nations first

When Champlain arrived on these shores in the early 1600s, there was no sign of the area’s original inhabitants: the St-Lawrence Iroquoians that Cartier had come across some 75 years earlier. Flash forward a few hundred years and the limited presence of aboriginal peoples in the culture of Montreal is an ongoing concern.

“At the MACM’s exhibition of young emerging Quebec artists, there was not one native artist,” says curator Ryan Rice. “It makes me wonder where we stand given the fact that there are 13 First Nations in Quebec and over 65,000 aboriginal people living in Montreal.” His new show at MAI (3680 Jeanne-Mance) entitled Hochelaga Revisited seeks to right that wrong.

Opening with a vernissage this evening, Thursday, March 19, the multidisciplinary show brings together the work of six aboriginal artists, all of whom have lived in Montreal at one point in their lives: Nadia Myre, Martin Loft, Ariel Lightningchild Smith, Cathy Mattes, Jason Baerg and Lori Blondeau.

“I wanted to know why they left the city, and how this place played a role in their careers.”

by STACEY DEWOLFE

Is it art?

THINKING INSIDE THE BOX: We’re all used to milk being sold in cartons, but a new company out of Grand Rapids, Michigan wants consumers to think of water in that way too.

Having started out with the simple idea to create a new, more environmentally friendly bottled water company, the people behind Boxed Water Is Better discovered that if they wanted to stick to their original plan, they should use paper, not plastic.

Made from roughly 90 per cent renewable resources, the cartons can also be shipped flat and filled with water only when the demand calls, meaning the warehouse will be full of flat water cartons waiting to be filled, not filled water bottles waiting to be shipped.

Though they’re currently only available in the Great Lake State of Michigan, they’re looking to expand in your area.

boxedwaterisbetter.com

Arts hole

FOR SERIOUS SPELLERS ONLY: The MainLine Theatre (3997 St-Laurent) plays host to The Honeysuckle Strip Spelling Bee, this Saturday, March 21. Based on the idea of strip poker, participants, who can sign up on a first-come-first-serve basis starting at 10 p.m., are asked to spell a word, and if they get it right they move on to the next round, if they get it wrong, they must do a striptease while removing a single item of clothing. Tickets are $6 at the door, the bee starts at 11 p.m. and the winner will receive a $50 prize. • SCULPTED: Maskull Lasserre, one of this year’s Noisemakers, shows off his latest work with his new show Rubric, at the Maison de la culture Côte-des-Neiges (5290 Côte-des-Neiges). The vernissage takes place tonight, Thursday, March 19 at 5 p.m., and the show runs until April 26.

Artistat

The amount you’ll spend on learning how to turn an old t-shirt into one-of-a-kind panties with the help of local designer Supayana and Articule (262 Farimount W.), who will provide the materials for the workshop this Saturday, March 21 from 3–6 p.m.: $40