Losing FIND

Here's something that isn't coming up. The Festival International de Nouvelle Danse (FIND), which wrapped up its 11th edition this past fall, has gone bankrupt. The bi-annual event was the biggest of its kind in North America and held by many as the most important in the world.

The problem isn't a lack of spectator support but a lack of subsidies. This year's FIND was bigger than ever. "Our rooms were full this year, but our funding dropped by $200,000 from the 2001 edition," says artistic director Chantal Pontbriand. FIND had budgeted big to account for a massive deficit they fell into when their September 2001 fest managed to peel few from their TV sets.

Ironically, though, they lost a lot of revenue to a growing younger audience who came in droves this year but shell out less for a ticket due to their under-25 discount. "Also people know they can see dance all year," says Pontbriand. "This week alone there are 11 shows. We can't compete as a single event." Still, the head of the 20-year-old organization sees the festival as worthy because of the international artists it brings in.

"We know that even hospitals have problems," she says. "But this is a valuable event for people and a stimulating one. It gives the public something they've never seen before." » Matthew Woodley

Fleeting friendships

Her underground mission is complete. Throughout the past year, Kelly Lynn Wood has been hanging around every metro station in town that has a photo-booth, asking strangers to have their picture taken with her. Responses varied; lots of people said no, one man asked if she was a witch, another (who writes for Just for Laughs, she found out) kept looking around for a camera assuming he was the victim of a practical joke.

Eventually Wood succeeded in having a set of pictures taken with a stranger at every booth on her list. Half of the resulting photos were given to those who posed, the other half can be viewed in her exhibition, i Smile With You, at the Maison de la culture Plateau Mont-Royal (465 Mont-Royal E).

The show also contains a video and facts about the experience. Though the documentation itself doesn't go far beyond predictable photo-booth snaps and details surrounding it, Wood's ear-to-ear grin in most of the shots is a sure sign that she had a good time. Runs until Jan. 25, 872-2266. » Christine Redfern

Art tech 101

Tonight, Dec. 18, at 5:30 p.m., Torontonian PJ Lilley and local Andréa Schmidt take the mike in Tactical Media, a discussion of different do-it-yourself strategies on how to use the Internet to advance activists' work. It's part of the Femmes Br@nchées salon at Studio XX (338 Terrasse St-Denis - the weird little side street off St-Denis just below Sherbrooke). Each month, the event invites women and men to talks on the uses of technology for either art or activism.

Both Lilley and Schmidt are technologically engaged militants who have been active organizers for anti-poverty movements and agitational Net projects over the past 10 years. Techno-critic Valérie d. Walker joins them with a talk on upgrading to the new MAC OS X and tips on freeware for artists. » Christine Redfern

More on gifts

Crowed stores? Bah. Here's a few places to buy one-of-a-kind gifts from the city's best makers.

In its inaugural year, Souk@SAT has a mob of talented locals (something like 50 in total) spreading out their wares at the Société des arts technologies (1195 St-Laurent). A plethora of stuff - if artists make it, they got it - will be on sale Dec. 20–21, noon–9 p.m, and Dec. 22–23, 5–10 p.m.

The Crafty Chick Collective's ever-popular Rusty Plum Gift Sale continues this weekend at Pharmacie Esperanza (5490 St-Laurent). This is the eighth year of funky crafts, clothes, cards and hopefully more of those neat pillows they had last year. Dec. 20–21, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.

The Roy Street Collective's Christmas Emporium's medley of stuff includes furniture, Dec. 18–19, noon–9 p.m., and Dec. 20–24, noon–6 p.m. (111 Roy E.). And friends of bottle fiends take note, 2003, Year of Water, is waning and Photogalerie BloWup (800 Place Victoria) is marking the occasion with an H2O bar and sale of more than 25 varieties of bottled water with some apparently quite hard-to-find brands on hand. » Matthew Woodley

Is it Art?

MATTRESS MOBILITY: It's a wet dream in a wireless world. As previously only seen on the Jetsons, the Aero Bed is a compact unit about the size of a garbage bag that, with the push of a button, turns into a comfy bed. In 45 seconds - slightly longer than a lengthy yawn - Aero inflates into a twin, double, or queen-size mattress (depending on model) with the help of a built-in electrical pump and a standard outlet. It deflates in 15 seconds. The bed is an obvious companion for overnight visits to friends' and relatives' homes, but would come in handy in any place where a quick nap is in order, such as long lineups, laptop concerts and places of employment. $159–$249 (U.S.), www.comforthouse.com/comfort/aerbedairmat.html to order.

ArtsHole

LIVING FICTION: For one year, interdisciplinary artist Geneviève Crépeau (who's also one half of musical duo Geneviève et Matthieu) lived out a new identity she created for herself: Michelle. This Friday, Dec. 19, Crépeau launches Je vivrai, je m'appelle Michelle, an "irregular, transdisciplinary" book of poetic reflections and art surrounding the experience. It's accompanied by a performance at 7 p.m. at Skol (460 Ste-Catherine W., #511) • CLEFS AND CANVAS: When she's not on tour with chamber orchestra I Musici de Montréal, Natasha Turovsky makes time for painting, a second art she discovered 10 years ago and has pursued prolifically ever since. Her music-inspired works share the space at Galerie Gora (460 Ste-Catherine W., #305) with Gérard Clisson, Kal Elshmaa and Stefani Johnson until Dec. 27

ARTISTAT: Number of works in the Musée d'art contemporain's Place à la magie! Les années 40, 50 et 60 au Québec, a show featuring such belle province luminaries as Borduas, Riopelle, Pellan and Gaucher, running until March, 2007 (no big rush): 50+

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