ARTSWEEK
by MIRROR ARTS
May 19, 2011
ARTISTAT: The amount of items on view at Pointe-à-Callière (350 Place Royale) as part of their latest exhibit To Your Health, Caesar! Wine and the Gauls, which runs until October 16 and invites visitors to follow the “Wine Road” that winds all the way from the Middle East to Italy, Gaul and beyond: 200
NO LONGER INVISIBLE: A still from “How to Disappear” by Annie Briard, starring Phyllis Papoulias
Long Haul turns 10
Artist collective and studio space The Long Haul (450 Beaumont) celebrates its 10th anniversary with Invisible, a group exhibition that opens tonight, Thursday, May 19 at 6 p.m.
The studio will also open its doors to the public this weekend, May 20-22, as part of Le Centre CLARK and Ubisoft’s Atelier Portes Ouvertes. Now in its third year, A.P.O. invites the public into 100 artist studios, centres and galleries throughout the Mile End and Parc Ex including Centre Clarke (5455 de Gaspe, #114), Diagonale (5455 de Gaspe, #203) and Galérie du Viaduc (5806 St-Laurent). It’s only in the last few years that the Long Haul has sought this kind of visibility. In fact, for most of its decade-long history, the collective prided itself on being invisible to the mainstream public.
For Kerri Flannigan, invisibility is found in internal dialogues, in “all the things that get carried around every day, from chronic pain to dinner plans,” while for Stephen Kawai, it speaks to the darkness that exists in the world. Brandon Blommaert’s projection may not even resonate the first time you encounter it, while Mark Knowles’ painted glaciers seem ready to disappear. Vanessa Yanow’s work seems to echo the Long Haul’s own trajectory, for in adding her hand to the abandoned projects of an anonymous creator, she has taken the invisible and made it visible.
—STACEY DEWOLFE
MEMORY BUILD-UP: From Ashes Comes the Day
Photo by NIKOL MIKUS
Dance in light of disaster
After a tumultuous lead-up to the Tokyo première of her new choreography, From Ashes Comes the Day, Erin Flynn heads home this week for its Montreal debut.
“There was a period of time after the disaster happened in Japan that our perception of the piece shifted in the context of what they were living through,” writes Flynn in an email from Seoul. “We also weren’t sure if we were going to be able to go, but it was the Japanese artists and producers who reassured us that it was okay, and in fact important to keep making art in light of the disaster.”
An image of a couple with their feet buried in objects was the starting point for the piece, as well as the idea of objects themselves. “How easy it is to accumulate possessions,” Flynn says, “and how hard it can be to let go of them, as if our memories are building up inside and outside of us.”
The duet, created with George Stamos, is part of Tangente’s (840 Cherrier) Dance-X: Tournée Montréal-Séoul-Tokyo series, which features international artists. The shows run until Sunday, May 22. For details: (514) 525-1500 or tangente.qc.ca.
—MARITES CARINO
INDOORS, NOT OUTDOORS: Geek-Out!
Photo by STEVE FAGUY
Get your Geek-Out!
Spring is best spent frolicking in big grassy fields, frisbee in hand. But for those more comfortable indoors with a game of Settlers of Catan or a pair of knitting needles, there’s always Geek Montreal’s monthly Geek-Out!
Founded by an online community of obsessed, priority-skewed individuals in co-founder Andrew Lindsay’s basement, the informal gathering has become a hotspot for fans of crocheting and long games of Clue.
“People will start to do the games and then pick up the crafts,” says co-founder Alex Megelas. “You see people that are working on crafts that they don’t necessarily know how to do, and just the fact that you were having that conversation with them over a game of Scrabble makes it a lot easier to try something that you wouldn’t necessarily do otherwise.”
Geek-Out! Summer Edition will be held at Burritoville (2055-B Bishop) this Saturday, May 21, 2 p.m., and will feature a special workshop on yarn bombing—the spontaneous and unprovoked adorning of public property with yarn covers.
“The idea with Geek Montreal is to have a platform that anyone can use to promote their projects and their initiatives, as long as they’re free and for fun.” To add your geeky event to their online calendar, visit geekmontreal.com.
—CHRISTOPHER OLSON
TRIPPY: From Strange Shapes Seen in the Sky
Psychedelic, absurd, immersive
The artistic duo Inflatable Deities would never want their art to be totally didactic. “We both share a sense of fun and absurdity,” says Emily Pelstring of her work with Jessica Mensch. Running until May 28, Strange Shapes Seen in the Sky is their third collaboration, and, like previous projects, it blends music, paint and video, capturing their essence of cool and energetic styles.
The installation takes over the Visual Voice Gallery (372 Ste-Catherine W., #421) and looks like a 70s album cover. A fluorescent moon bounces from wall to wall, competing with psychedelic spray-painted lines, a 3D Necker Cube and a campfire made up of TVs.
“We’re creating an illusion as a believable reality,” Pelstring says, taking a jello shot (treats on hand for the opening day). Adds Mensch: “We want to immerse you, create something that hits you on an immediate level.”
The total effect is hallucinogenic and to look at their work is to travel to another dimension. “Some kids passed by and loved it. Kids are huge fans of our art,” Pelstring joked. It’s easy to understand why—the show is all about having fun and letting go.
—ALEXANDRA MURPHY
IS IT ART?
THE FUTURE OF BOOKZ: Literacy is an important issue. How can we keep kids interested in reading in this age of digital supremacy? The answer could be Bookz.
Bookz is the latest initiative by HarperCollins, who have teamed up with popular tween site Woozworld to make 60 titles available to kids online.
Instead of directly targeting tweens, the reading material targets Woozens, the kids’ online avatars, inviting them to check out the Bookz and browse each others bookshelves.
By covertly integrating reading into this virtual reality/social networking site, they hope to draw kids into the world of wordz.
ARTSHOLE
● CULTURE CLASH: Local not-for-profit theatre company l’Aquarium et le Globe take their show on the road this summer, with the touring production of Différences/Le Choc. This two-part performance, which explores identity, culture and acceptance, invites audience members to interact on stage with the actors. It plays at various locations throughout Montreal and Sherbrooke, including at Mis au jeu (90 de la Gauchetière E., 1st fl.) this Friday, May 20 at 7:30 p.m.
● THINK WHEN HARRY MET SALLY: In the increasingly weird world of group karaoke, the MainLine (3997 St-Laurent) plays host to Porn Karaoke this Friday, May 20 at 9:30 p.m. Ten bucks will get you a seat in the audience, or $5 will get you up in front of that audience moaning your heart out as porn is projected on a screen. Participants can perform in pairs or solo. “Homophobia or douchebaggery will not be tolerated.” You must be 18+ to participate. ■
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