Space invader

“Over the past few weeks, artist and moonlighting detective Daniel Olson has been on the hunt for clues. His one-man agency/exhibition, Cultural Services Inc., a division of the Free Man Detective Bureau, aims to infiltrate and understand private life.

Notebook in hand, Olson has been investigating ordinary citizens, “discreetly and upon request,” talking to them as well as rooting through their magazines and CD collections, building a solid case on their habits before reaching his conclusions.

Mysteriously, he’s also been leaving “hidden traces of his passage” behind (in the form of cards) in spots where he focused his magnifying glass. The investigation is almost finished and his typed files are currently being archived for display at Optica (372 Ste-Catherine W. #508).

Olson admits that he may have become somewhat sidetracked in his search for cultural understanding. “I was looking for things that I own or know, and by default my work became somewhat autobiographical,” he says, alluding to sitting around strangers’ living rooms listening to his favourite ’60s records. Nevertheless, the private eye has time for a few more searches. To be cased, or for more information on these welcome breaches of privacy, call 874-1666 or visit www.optica.ca. :
-Matthew Woodley

Age of innocence

Tall-Man is the organizer and MC of, and contributing poet to, Extreme Innocence, a cabaret series that he started up this summer. “I’m trying to give whatever talent is in Montreal an opportunity,” says Tall-Man. “I don’t think there are enough places for this to actually take place.”

The theme of this Friday’s show at Club Indigo is a tribute to last year’s terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. It includes acoustic singer-songwriters Sima & Roula, Mona & Jennifer and Samara, whose newly completed demo features a piece about Sept. 11. There’ll also be gospel by Vanessa and Mark Henry, and poet Julius makes his Extreme Innocence debut. Tall-Man is always looking for more poetry and spoken word. “That’s my true love,” he says. “If you’re a poet, get in contact.” Here’s how: extremeinnocence@hotmail.com or 921-0978 (pager). Sept. 20, Club Indigo, 9394 L’Acadie,
8 p.m., $10. :
—Vincent Tinguely

Objects of affection

As if relationships weren’t hard enough already, photographer Maryse Larivière’s new exhibit, Out of This World, presents the possibility that the person who responds to your syrupy baby names with smiles and kisses may not be on the receiving end of all your love in the way you’d like to think. In this age of constant stimulus, Larivière posits that we’re more in love with the images of our partners than the people themselves.

With staged photos, often manipulated, Larivière shines the love lens on the difficulty of maintaining relationships in these days of über-quick communication. Unromanticize your love life at SKOL (460 Ste-Catherine W.) from Sept. 21–Oct. 26. : —Claire Philipson

Going once…

Art is on the auction block this weekend as local makers gather together to show their wares and let them go to the highest bidder. Photographs by Erika Kierulf and Nicolás Villegas, among gobs of other goods by artisans and plebeians alike, are up for bidding to raise funds for Montreal graffiti artist Omen, one of the victims of a recent Mile-End fire in which he lost all his earthly possessions.

Benevolent artists are also invited to come, exchange and lend a hand. It’s on Saturday, Sept. 21, 10 p.m., at 10 Pins W. #123. :
—Claire Philipson

Is it Art?

Stick it: Pin collectors take note: with over 40 exhibitors and more than 150,000 products, the 18th edition of the Lapel Pin Festival will be held at the Ramada hotel (7300 Côte de Liesse), near Dorval airport. This location can only lead one to assume that there’s an international pin-fest circuit and the wild ’n’ crazy delegates stay up all night and have no energy to venture further into the city before flying off to the next assemblage. Sept. 21–22 from 10 a.m.–4 p.m., $1. :

ArtsHole

Prints-a-plenty: The aptly named exhibition Photos/Photographs, featuring a plethora of eclectic work from six internationally recognized Canadian photographers, continues at Galerie Berensen (1472 Sherbrooke W.) until Oct. 15. * Beautiful bobbers: The colourful landscapes of Victoria P. Wonnacott’s exhibition The Raft—all of which feature a floating “platform of purpose, reflection and consolation”—are on display at Casa Obscura (4381 Papineau) until Oct. 3. * Summoning submissions: Dazibao gallery, “a springboard for young artists,” is currently calling for submissions from budding photographers, www.dazibao-photo.org for info. * SKOL is also looking to give a boost to emerging artists and looking for “all types of proposals.” See www.skol.qc.ca for more. :

Artistat: Number of votes gathered thus far by ’80s Canadiana gem Beachcombers as it retains top spot in the drama category of CBC’s Showvote, an opportunity for viewers to bring back reruns of their favourite program (www.cbc.ca/showvote or 1-800-362-2298): 7,529 :