Sex, drugs
and old pals

If you were a certain kind of kid in the '70s, photographer Nan Goldin's exhibition at the Musée d'art contemporain might be a bit like attending a high school reunion.

The shots span from 1973 to present, and are mainly portraits of Goldin and her friends. Their ageing faces and the devastation of drugs and AIDS is balanced by images of freedom and youthful immortality. The changing hairdos, clothing, and interiors combine to visually encapsulate the flow of existence over four decades.

Goldin's photographs document friendship, love, intimacy, drugs, sex and time. But these aren't glamour shots of decadence such as we saw in Sam Taylor-Wood's recent exhibition nor the voyeuristic approach to substance abuse in Gillian Wearing's video Drunk. This body of work's strength lies precisely in its truthful reflection of Goldin's reality: her milieu, her circle of friends, her life. And her oeuvre didn't grow out of the New York gallery scene, but the clubs of lower Manhattan where she originally became known in the early '80s for her slide show The Ballad of Sexual Dependency. Goldin's work does change over time and to that I say thank God - she records the world from her own evolving perspective, rather than merely pumping out a popular commodity. Runs until Sept. 7, 847-6226. » Christine Redfern

Fast, cheap and
out of control

The sales event of the season is upon us! Nina Logan, Marie-Ève Laneville, Dominique Pétrin (of les Georges Leningrad fame) and Julie Doucet (the artist behind the hit comic book Dirty Plotte) have thrown together a soirée to move some handmade, ink-and-paper merch that's sprung from their various silkscreening efforts.

It's at Casa del Popolo (4873 St-Laurent) on Monday, June 2, from 7 p.m. on, and it's a chance to snag dolls, posters, books, toys, ciggy packs "and other cheap junk and horrible little masterpieces," as Pétrin puts it. "You'll find the most chic gifts for all your friends, from the smartest to the most absurd, at prices that would embarrass all other artists on the planet!" Le Grand Recteur Gilles Robert will MC the event, hawking product at the top of his voice, DJ Mingo l'indien spins the tunes, and masks and party hats are available for all. » Rupert Bottenberg

Lost in place

For Montreal author Dana Bath, an understanding of setting - including first-hand experience of Japan and other bits of Southeast Asia, Ireland and various nooks and crannies of Canada - is integral to her work.

Considering what sort of theme underlies the stories in her new collection, Universal Recipients, Bath says, "A lot of them focus on travel in the sense that they're very concerned with ideas of place and home. The stories are about transience, the fundamental loneliness of not being particularly rooted anywhere, not only in place but in relationships, and in one's sense of identity."

Bath launches Universal Recipients tonight, Thursday, May 29, at Paragraphe Books (2220 McGill College). She'll be reading from her new book, and promises free wine and delicious hors d'oeuvres. » Vincent Tinguely

Performance projections

Choreographer Nancy Leduc takes bullfighting out of the arena and puts it on stage this week at Tangente (840 Cherrier). Part of the Les Majeurs series, which features younger established choreographers, Matador y Torero is Leduc's fiery choreography for two. Dancer Anne Lebeau and actor Martin Fortier face off in the ring in the respective roles of matador and bull. What follows in this dance-theatre piece is intense interaction between love and hate sprinkled with moments of humour.

For the second half of the evening, musician Michel F. Côté, who normally composes for choreographers, takes over with his work entitled L'intranquilité. Using the same lighting, music and set as Matador y Torero, in this companion piece Côté orchestrates a multidisciplinary improvisation with Lebeau, Fortier and Leduc. Runs until June 1, 525-1860 to reserve. » Marites Carino

Is it Art?

HOPPER'S INDEX: Like a seasoned swiller's gut, the International Beer Festival keeps on growing. This year's 10th anniversary, which features the launch of a commemorative brew, Mondix, takes place from June 4–8 at the Windsor Station and Courtyard (1160 de la Gauchetière W.). Some stats: Number of brands of beer, scotch, cider, port and whisky for sampling: 250. Number of those brands that are new: 90. Price per sample: $1. Number of countries represented: 16. Line-up of thirst-inducing live music acts: 5. Number of beer competitions (that's quality, not quantity): 1. Number of beer-tasting workshops: 5. Cheese-tasting workshops (?): 5. See www.festivalmondialbiere.qc.ca for the full schedule.

ArtsHole

SUMMER CHILL: Art, yoga, pilates, dance, music, nature walks (relaxed yet?) and more all melt together into one soothing soup at Summer Awakening '03, an art retreat in the picturesque Eastern Townships. The event, which throws a sizeable chunk of its profit toward breast cancer research, takes place June 13-15, 485-0911 or www.refreshyourspirit.com to register. TWISTED THOUGHTS: Gianni Giuliano mixes quirky, contemporary realist imagery with traditional techniques in his fantastic exhibition of mostly oil and egg on linens, Pensées dyslexiques, running until June 6 at the Centre communautaire Elgar (260 Elgar, Verdun), 765-7270. ORIENT-ATION: As part of the Montreal Asian Heritage Festival, an exhibition featuring sculptures by Esen Kescioglu and photography by Arun Blake continues at Galerie Ame Art (5345 Parc) until May 31.

ARTISTAT: Amount raised by Montreal party people in support of AIDS education and prevention at Melt, a dance party and art exhibition that took place on May 19, with all profits going to Action Séro Zéro: $2,000

>> Arts Listings