Stories like songs

HEADED TO A PSYCHOLOGICAL NO MAN’S LAND: Orti

Montreal writer Ian Orti’s first collection of short stories, The Olive and the Dawn, follows multiple characters, who may or may not be connected, as they fumble their way, usually drunk, often enthralled by music, into each other’s beds.

“I get more pleasure out of listening to music than reading books,” confesses Orti, an indie rock devotee. “I wanted the stories to be as enjoyable to read as a song is to listen to.”

Ostensibly a short-story collection, certain characters keep resurfacing and the events are held together by a mysterious reappearing bicycle.

“It’s about that psychological no man’s land where you lose all your reference points. Like when you lose a lover or a family member. Whatever those reference points were that helped you understand your position in the world, when those get stripped away, suddenly you’re naked in the desert and doing anything to find shade.”

The book is being launched tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. at the Green Room (5386 St-Laurent) and will feature readings from the book and music by Erin Lang.

Details at snarebooks.wordpress.com

by MATT JONES

Sampling at McClure

HYPNOTIC HEAD TRIP: “Painter’s form [after Guston]”

It’s not often that my wanderings take me farther west than Parisian Laundry, but this weekend I made an exception, riding the green line down to McClure Gallery (350 Victoria).

Located within the Visual Arts Centre, which has classes and community outreach programs, the gallery opens its autumn season with a solo show by Quebec-based painter Dan Brault.

Though the exhibition opened last weekend, Brault will be in town tonight, Thursday, Sept. 17, hosting a vernissage and talk for his latest collection, Mixed Tape. Describing his approach as similar to a DJ’s in that he samples styles and techniques from existing sources to create new representations, the gallery has installed the work in two spaces.

In the front room, “side A: Frankenstein” makes his approach explicit as the works are divided into different sections, each with its own distinct look and referent. The paintings in the back, entitled “side B: Hard Smoke,” are not explicitly collagist, though they do combine portraiture—of humans and bears, with their eyes mysteriously aglow—with Miro-esque doodles.

But it is the relationship between the two halves that gives the title its resonance, as the play of elements functions as a sort of visual mix tape.

by STACEY DEWOLFE

Peace out with Pacifest

Monday, September 21 is the United Nations’ annual International Day of Peace, calling for a 24-hour global ceasefire, but the locals behind Montreal’s new Pacifest extend the idea over most of a week this year.

In addition to a five-day run for Jeremy Gilley’s doc The Day After Peace at Cinéma du Parc, there will be a 6 a.m. First Nations peacepipe ritual atop Mount Royal on Sept. 21 and a noontime flashmob at SAT (1195 St-Laurent) the same day.

On the menu at the big Light Up the World For Peace! event at SAT—on Sept. 19, 9 p.m., $10— is the spectacular lightshow artistry of Boa Labo, the duo of musician Nicolas Maranda and photographer Patrick Rochon, who conjure up a mesmerizing kaleidoscope of colour abetted by tunes and dancers, as well as DJs Alain Vinet, Christian Pronovost and Maüs, dancer Anita Bombita and, care of Cirque du Soleil, VJ Mindlab.

Last but not least, the soirée sees the premiere of Light Up the World, a work-in-progress YouTube initiative that passes a candle around the world through hundreds of self-submitted video clips, each with the word “peace” uttered in a native tongue (if you wanna contribute, go to youtube.com/user/WorldWideWaveofLight).

by RUPERT BOTTENBERG

Gross duet

This summer, while Montrealers and tourists were taking in the multitude of downtown fests, a group of choreographers and dancers were hard at work in the Belgo Building’s Studio 303 (372 Ste-Catherine W., #303) as a part of its summer residency program that invites artists to develop a project idea.

Local choreographer Amélie Rajotte was one of the chosen, spending July and August working on a duet she describes as “an exploration of contemporary femininity in an absurd, surreal setting.”

For her 25-minute work-in-progress, In Fact, I’m Gross, Rajotte says she was inspired by a series of photographs by visual artist Aliette Mahé who dressed up poultry to make them look like women.

“I wanted to look at how we perceive ourselves and how we are perceived,” explains Rajotte. “I wanted to go deeper and discover what’s behind the façade. That’s what interests me.”

Take a peek at the new creations by the summer ’09 resident artists Catherine Gaudet, Gabrielle Desgagnés and Thierry Huard this Friday, Sept. 18, 8 p.m. and Saturday Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., $12, (514) 393-3771.

by MARITES CARINO

IS IT ART?

EXPLOSIVE ADORNMENT: Singer Edwin Starr made it big when he sang, “War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing!” the anti-war anthem of 1970, which topped the charts in North America while war raged in Cambodia. Now, 30 years after the civil war ended in that country, war is now good for, um, jewellery.

In honour of the International Day of Peace, celebrated on Sept. 21, Ten Thousand Villages will be donating a portion of sales from Peace Dove Necklaces ($45) to Cambodian’s who have been injured or disabled by landmines.

Made from bombshell chasings left over from various wars, the necklaces are crafted by Cambodian artists and are imprinted with the word “peace” in both English and Khmer. The artists are connected with the Rajana Association, an organization that helps traditional artists put a contemporary spin on their work.

tenthousandvillages.ca

Arts hole

STRIPPING DOWN: The first Montreal Burlesque Festival runs Sept. 17–20 with performances by Seska Lee, Coco Framboise, Miss Exotic World ’09 Kalani Kokonuts and festival founder Scarlett James. See montrealburlesquefestival.com for details. • XX IMPROV: Billed as “all-hot-lady” sketch comedy, the Dirty Little Spoons get a chance to live up to their name this weekend, starting tonight, Sept. 17, with their comedy show Making Funny. Théâtre Ste-Catherine (264 Ste-Catherine W.), 8 p.m., $12/$10 for students or in advance.

Artistat

The amount it’ll cost you to be part of an open forum discussion with author Rawi Hage about his latest book Cockroach, presented by Creative Boost (279 Sherbrooke W.) and moderated by Dr. Norman Cornett, Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 6 p.m.: $25