Anarchitects out
of the box

Out of the Box: Price Rossi Stirling + Matta-Clark is a thought-provoking experiment happening at the Canadian Centre for Architecture (1920 Baile). Under the direction of Mirko Zardini, the show presents some never-seen-before material from the CCA's recently acquired archives on innovative architects Cedric Price, Aldo Rossi, James Stirling and artist Gordon Matta-Clark.

Reflecting four completely different ways to approach architecture, these pivotal protagonists from the 1970s posed questions that are ripe for reassessment. This is not the expected "permanent" institutional exhibition that extols a single point of view. Zardini and 10 other curators have purposefully created an inconclusive, work-in-progress exhibit that will change in response to further research and discussions. The material, presented in this wonderfully subtle and engaging manner, opens up paths of imaginative thinking for all (not just architects). Tonight's talk on Stirling is the first in a series of lectures, films, concerts, talks and a symposium that accompany the exhibition, which runs until Sept. 6, 2004. » Christine Redfern

Arab nights and rites

It's been awhile since we've seen something by local choreographer Irène Stamou. That's because she's been in Costa Rica doing an artist's residency. 3 solos, the Latin-flavoured outcome of her away time, opens this week at Tangente (840 Cherrier) as part of the Les Majeurs series. Stamou looks to the body as a primary source of inspiration in her new trio of works - in which she also performs. Joining her are fellow soloists Elinor Fueter and Kim Girouard.

After several trips to Mexico, Tangente's artistic director Dena Davida discovered a Mexican choreographer Alicia Sanchez and her company El Teatro de Movimiento. The Mexican troupe will be sharing the evening with Stamou with a piece called D'ici, de là et de acuya. Here, four performers blend text with movement to recount their stories. The shows run Oct. 30-Nov. 2; for tix ($13-$15) or info, call 525-1500.This Halloween, the massive cultural celebration Le Festival du Monde Arabe de Montréal presents local choreographer Motaz Kabbani, who's showcasing his newly completed triptych entitled L'oeil et la nuit. In this work, Kabbani, who was born in Damascus, explores different facets of his Syrian roots.

The first section, Prélude à l'après midi d'un faune takes inspiration from the Nijinski classic 1912 solo, but breaks somewhat from tradition in casting a woman dancer, Marie-Chantal Anctil, as the lead. It's followed by Ritual #5, featuring Karen Duplessis, who interprets the innate fear of aging through a progression of five tableaux. The final piece, Le Sacre du printemps features five dancers and was created this summer at the MAI during an artist residency. In a hammam (bathhouse) setting, the piece enacts the ritual preparation of a virgin for arranged marriage. Oct. 31, 8 p.m., at the Centre Pierre-Péladeau (300 de Maisonneuve O.), 790-1245 for more info. » Marites Carino

SAT on LSD

The SAT currently has its first major international artist-in-residence, Jaanis Garancs from Latvia. While many new media artists are so conceptually convoluted that few get the hyper-irony, Garancs' work is visceral and tangible: a 3D datascape of moving lines, colours and information that can be set up to interact with moving bodies. Viva networked acid for the wired generation!

Garancs creates crazy stereoscopic projections - like what you'd hallucinate the Net to look like in William Gibson's Neuromancer. Call it the new psychedelia for the SMS kiddies, or the reprogramming of our cyberpunk fantasies with surround-sound bleeps.

Garancs is part of x-i.net, which produces some of the most wack Net art and radio madness on the planet. Don't miss the opening on Oct. 30, 5-7 p.m. at SAT (1195 St-Laurent). » Tobias C. Van Veen

Matrix relaunched,
Pencil breaks out

'Tis the season for literary launches and tours. On Saturday, Nov. 1, Matrix magazine celebrates its "Public Domain" issue with readings by contributors Jon K. Samson (of the Weakerthans) and GG-winner Stephanie Bolster. The same show boasts Toronto-based Coach House Press authors Gail Scott, Denis Denisoff, Suzanne Zelazo, Nathalie Stephens and Andrew Kaufman. It starts at 4 p.m. at Blizzarts, (3956A St-Laurent), free.

On Wednesday, Nov. 5, it's the Broken Pencil tour, featuring a slide show by comic artist Marc Ngui and readings by Hal Niedzviecki, Emily Schultz, Andy Brown and columnists Jonathan Goldstein and Heather O'Neill. About their Journey prize-nominated column, O'Neill says: "Jon was writing the column and got lazy, so one day I started writing it instead. It's still called ‘Goldstein on Goldstein,' and he still gets invited to readings, so it's all a bizarre sham!" 8 p.m. at Casa de Popolo (4873 St-Laurent), free. » Vincent Tinguely

Is it Art?

NOT YOUR AVERAGE JOE: Across this vast, Tim Horton's-dotted landscape we call Canada, 67 per cent of adults drink coffee every day, with the average daily consumption rounded off to three cups (source: Coffee Association of Canada). So brew-tech innovator Keurig's new "Single-Cup Revolution" could very well affect millions. Keurig's system relies on a device known as the K-Cup®, a disposable plastic container with a built-in filter and an optimal amount of pre-ground bean inside. Coffees from several major roasters are available. "Why brew a pot at a time," they ask, "when we drink a cup of coffee at a time?" Good question. If 67 per cent of Canada's adults went through three K-Cups® per day, that'd be about 47-million K-Cup® dots on our landscape daily. $249.99 (U.S.) for the brewing machine, $2.95 for a 5-pack of cups. Viva la revolucíon at www.keurig.com.

ArtsHole

CHAMPIONS OF CHANGE: Writer Donna Nebenzahl and photographer Nance Ackerman talk about their book Womankind: Faces of Change Around the World, a celebration of female activists, as part of the Paragraphe Books Breakfast series Nov. 2, 10 a.m., at the Hotel Omni (1050 Sherbrooke W.). • SPACE OUT: Bettina Forget's outer-worldly exhibition, Moon: Les lunes du système solaire, features heavily textured takes on the moon and further explorations of the possibility of life on some of our sister moons, such as Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, all of which harbour liquid water beneath their frozen crusts. It continues at 460 Ste-Catherine W., #933, until Nov. 7.

ARTISTAT: Number of musicians, actors, dancers, filmmakers, visual artists and more from a slew of different countries taking part in the Festival du Monde Arabe de Montréal, happening at venues across town from Oct. 30-Nov. 16 (www.festivalarabe.com or 747-0000 for details): 300+

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