Thank you!

Listening to: Siouxsie and the Banshees



Lea and Blair are now in the contemporary galleries tearing down My Culture Includes My Scene in preparation for the next exhibition that will open in September, Weathervane. It's hard to believe that two months have come and gone, but given a chance to reflect upon the number of events that took place as part of the MCIMS program, it's easier to register the time.

Upon the closing of MCIMS, I would like to take another opportunity thank all of the artists for their great contributions to the exhibition, the launch party, and to the various public programs. I'd also like to thank the other individuals and businesses that contributed to the exhibition/public programs including: Diane Pacom, Invisible Cinema, The Rideau Centre, SAW Video, Jägermeister, and Long & McQuade. Special thank you, once again, to The Ink Spot for designing the exhibition logo. Of course, OAG's major funders were instrumental to the presentation of this exhibition -- thanks to The Ontario Arts Council, The City of Ottawa, The Ontario Trillium Foundation, and The Canada Council for the Arts. Indeed, it is thanks to The Canada Council that I was able to spend this very productive year in Ottawa -- I'm thrilled with the experience I had...

... which leads me to my next point. As a guest curator, I would also like to thank OAG's staff for supporting my ideas and giving me access to the tools to work on this exhibition. I really enjoyed the opportunity, and would love to collaborate again in the future =-)

Most of all, thank you to all the people who visited the gallery, attended special events, and read/signed the blog. Overall, it seems that people really enjoyed the exhibition -- certainly, the great conversations I had, and the range of enthusiastic comments in the guest book have led me to that conclusion =-).

Even though the exhibition is over, I still do welcome comments and conversation. If I understand correctly, the comment function of this blog will remain active even when I am no longer able to create new posts. I'll keep my eye on it, just in case. Oh, and I'm sure the gallery would be happy to pass on any emails, in case anyone would like to get in touch.

So, ultimately, thank you Ottawa! I hope you had as much fun as I did =-)

A Grand Finale

Listening to: Flock of Seagulls ;-)

Friday, August 19th

Diane Pacom's talk at OAG in conjunction with MCIMS was AMAZING! Her thoughts about the social imaginary and culture as amniotic fluid (among other things) definitely offered participants some great food for thought. Aside from that, her marvellous speaking style and fantastic sense of humor communicated ideas in ways that really resonnated with the every day life experiences of people regardless of their age.

I was thrilled that members of the audience were so willing to engage in meaningful conversation, and I wish I could have stayed until the end. I was informed that the conversation continued until approx 2:30, and that it could have easily continued for much longer.




Saturday, August 20th

Beginning at 2:00 pm, Hazel Meyer and her "herd" roamed the Byward market, the locks, Parliament Hill, Sparks Street, and Rideau Street for one last time before the Deer Heads were shipped off to Calgary for Art City. This time Hazel decided not to document the event, and it was interesting to observe how it changed the dynamic of the performance. I think observers felt more comfortable approaching "the Deer" for conversation, because the scenario looked more "natural" and inviting. That is, "the Deer" didn't look like they were performing for their own purposes, complete with an entourage of paparazzi.



Sunday, August 21st

Following the closure of the gallery closed on the last day of My Culture Includes My Scene, Greg Hill performed Portaging the Rideau, Paddling the Ottawa to Kanata. Followed by a video crew from APTN, a videographer from The A Channel, an independent vidoegrapher, and four photographers, Greg carried the Cereal Box Canoe through the Rideau Centre, in front of the Chateau Laurier and down to the canal. With the assitance of a few friends, he seated himself in the canoe, and began to paddle. A number of onlookers accompanied him from the gallery, and even more joined him along the way.

Not built with real use in mind, the shape of the canoe required Greg to exert enormous effort to beat the cross-winds and stay on course. After some time, he discovered the canoe was taking in water. Since it's structure was holding up very well, he decided to carry on with the performance by portaging some more of the distance, then getting back into the water for the last leg -- his arrival on to the shore of Victoria Island, a contested site in First Nations' land claim negotiations. Once on shore, he created a structure made of rocks to support a flag pole, then raised a Kanata Flag. It was a truly incredible event to witness.

From the moment Greg told me he wanted to go ahead with this performance, I knew the canoe would hold up and that it would be a tremendous success -- no matter what happened, a gesture that profound couldn't have been anything less than perfect, and indeed it was.

More info about Professor Pacom's talk on Friday

Listening to: Ladytron

Here is some additional information about Professor Diane Pacom's talk, which will take place this Friday, Aug 19th from 12:30 - 1:30. It's going to be really cool! My initial desire to invite a Professor from a nearby university was to offer OAG's audiences a different voice that could encourage further exploration of MCIMS's theoretical aspects. I was very fortuante to meet Professor Pacom after reading her biography posted the University of Ottawa's website. She has directed a great deal of fascinating research in the areas of youth culture, identity, and globalization, among other things. Some of her current research interests include graffiti practices, and she has a book forthcoming on the topic.

________________________

Cultural Fragmentation and Plural Identities in Contemporary Society

This presentation will analyse the risks and challenges associated with identity in a world of profound mutation. At the dawn of the 21st century, the existential landscape of our fragmented social reality seems punctuated with identity crises and new forms of identity. Through a thorough sociological analysis, we can shed light on the novelty and paradox of our current social structures.

Professor Diane Pacom from the University of Ottawa's sociology department is an expert in cultural sociology and contemporary sociology theories and is devoted to her students, encouraging critical thinking and intellectual autonomy.

Prof. Pacom is very involved in the community. She is a frequent guest speaker at conferences and is regularly quoted and interviewed by media on the realities of contemporary youth. Prof. Pacom was also one of the 15 recipients of the Capital Educators' Award in 2002, the Rector's Award for service to the University through media and community relations in 2003, and finally the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Association Award, which was given to her in Toronto on June 11, 2004.

________________________

Fragmentation culturelle et identités plurielles dans l'environnement social contemporain

Lors de cette présentation nous analyserons les enjeux et les défis identitaires dans un monde en profonde mutation. A l'aube du XXième siècle, crise identitaires et émergences de nouvelles formes identitaires semblent scander l'horizon existentiel de notre sociabilité morcelée. Nous tenterons de mettre en lumière certains de paradoxes de cette sociabilité inédite qui est la notre.

Mme Diane Pacom, professeure en sociologie de l'Université d'Ottawa est spécialiste de la sociologie de la culture et des théories sociologiques contemporaines. Mme Pacom, qui se dévoue entièrement à ses étudiantes et étudiants, encourage la pensée critique et l'autonomie intellectuelle.

Très impliquée aussi dans la communauté, elle est souvent invitée à donner des conférences et des entrevues médiatiques sur la réalité de la jeunesse contemporaine. Rappelons que Diane Pacom a été l'une des 15 récipiendaires du Prix d'excellence en enseignement de la capitale en 2002, lauréate du Prix du recteur pour services rendus à l'Université par les relations médiatiques et communautaires en 2003, et finalement, lauréate du Prix d'excellence en enseignement de l'Ontario pour l'année 2003, remis le 11 juin dernier à Toronto.

Still more to come!

Listening to: Soft Cell (no kidding ;-)

Thank you to everyone who attended my tour of My Culture Includes My Scene on Friday -- it was great to meet and discover how enthusiastic people are about the work in the show!

It's hard to believe that MCIMS will only be up for one more week. Six more days, to be exact! But, there are still a few more exciting things to come in that short time.

On Friday, August 19th at 12:30 pm, Professor Diane Pacom (Department of Sociology, University of Ottawa) will be giving a talk about the complexity of constructing identity at the dawn of the 21st century. The talk will be bilingual, so I hope this means that there will be double the opportunity for great conversation!

On Saturday, August 20th, Hazel Meyer will conduct the final Ottawa performance of Deer Heads. If you'd like to join the procession, send me an email (resident@ottawaartgallery.ca), and I'll give you the details!

On Sunday, August 21st beginning at 5:00 pm sharp, Greg Hill will perform Portaging the Rideau, paddling the Ottawa to Kanata, which will involve him carrying Cereal Box Canoe to the locks (next to the Chateau Laurier), then paddling to Victoria Island where he will plant a Kanata Flag. All are welcome to participate in the event by taking part in the portage procession, then witnessing the launch of the canoe into the Rideau. It will be quite a sight!

Let's talk!

Listening to: Goldfrapp

I just wanted to take a second to say that I am scheduled to talk about MCIMS at OAG on

Friday, August 12 from 12:30 - 1:30 pm

Please stop by! Rather than deliver a "lecture"-style presentation about the motivations behind the exhibition, and information about the featured artists, I really would like to get some kind of discussion going. I've really enjoyed the opportunities I've had for one-on-one conversation about the show during these past few weeks -- it would be great to share ideas in a larger forum =-)

Hazel Meyer's Artist Talk and Performance Double Bill

Listening to: Figurine

Now that I'm back from my vacation, I finally have a chance to post about Hazel Meyer's artist talk on Saturday, July 30th.

In short, it was nothing less than fabulous! Hazel wowed her audience with a non-chronological trip through textile and fashion history (emphasizing the significance of their roles in various social and cultural practices), and her own artistic production. Her unique ability to draw together seemingly disparate threads of knowledge, combined with her great sense of humor, invited the audience to reassess assumptions about clothing, social groups and behaviour. Beyond that, her slide show was one of the most dynamic that I'd ever seen!

Following her talk, Hazel offered a preview of a new video she'd been working on. After that, a group assembled to put on Deer Heads and parade through town. Our travels took us to the Byward Market, Major's Hill Park where each Deer had his/her close-up, The Rideau Locks, and a large bookstore where a security guard hovered nearby, unsure whether we were hooligans or just a peaceful herd out to graze.

Hazel invited Aaron Mckenzie Fraser to document the performance - I can't wait to see what he captured of the event!!

Calling all Deer Heads!

Listening to: Simple Minds

What are you doing on Saturday afternoon?

At 1:00 pm, Hazel Meyer will be giving an artists' talk that will cover her performative and fiber-based work along with digressions on sneakers, debutantes, intestines, pleats, stripes and hound's tooth.

Following that, the Deer Heads will take another romp around the city. There is room for 10 wearers, plus admirers. Wanna join us? Show up at OAG for Hazel's talk, then hang around with us afterwards so we can gear up and get out! The performance will last approximately an hour, and will end at OAG.

Since Hazel hasn't had a chance to get her blog goin' yet, I'm taking the liberty of posting two pics that Howie took during the performance on June 25th...

Greg Hill's Artist Talk

Lstening to: Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Greg's talk was fantastic! Not only did he give some interesting insights into his two works on display as part of My Culture Includes My Scene (Cereal Box Canoe and the Ali-in-di-oh! series), but he also offered a detailed overview of the Kanata project. In addition to showing some slides, Greg also presented two short videos that documented Kanata-related performances. In the first he took on the role of a TV news reporter going out into the streets for commentaries about Canada/Kanata's new flag. In the second, he took on the role of a Kanada customs officer giving people a hard time at the border.

Greg's thoughtful critique of national and identity politics, combined with his rich sense of humor, kept the audience thoroughly engaged. And, as if the experience of viewing so much great documentation of his projects wasn't enough, Greg offered Kanata passports to anyone who wanted to have one. Very, very cool!

Awesome Tuesday Morning

Listening to: The Causey Way

Wow! What a great Tuesday morning =-) I was feeling a little exhausted after a very full weekend at a symposium in Banff (and returning home to Ottawa very late at night), but I just hosted a tour for a group of 40 students between the ages of 9-12, and my energy is completely up thanks to them! These students were great -- they had all kinds of ideas and stories to add to our conversation, and they were really enthusiastic about all the pieces we talked about (plus the ones we didn't have time to discuss owing to their schedule).

One of the coolest comments came at the very end, when a boy walked up to me and said something to the effect of:

This place reminds me of The Louvre -- I've been there. Art is art is art.

I replied that I was thrilled to hear such an awesome comment, and that I'd certainly pass it on to all of the artists in the show, because I'm sure that they would be excited about it as well =-)

Then, when I got to my office, I discovered a bunch of really cool emails. Here's something Juan Carlos passed on:

Hope you are super duper. I just wanted to mention that I saw your work at the Ottawa Art Gallery today and that it looked great. Actually, the whole show was very well curated and a breath of fresh air in Ottawa's cultural landscape. It was nice to see that all those rebels at heart are still roaming around and making art! Keep on painting.

=-)

MCIMS on Flickr!

Listening to: Franz Ferdinand

I :heart: Google, because it pointed me to Flickr, which I also :heart:!

This link, http://flickr.com/photos/jnorminton/sets/499206, offers photos of the MCIMS launch party taken by jnorminton -- they're stunning!! You have to go look at them!!

=-)

Thanks for posting them, jnorminton!!

Upcoming and Ongoing MCIMS Events + Programs

Listening to: Suede

I just wanted to take a second to mention a few of the events that are coming up as part of My Culture Includes My Scene...


On Friday, July 22nd from 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm, Greg Hill will be giving an artists talk at OAG. As always, all are welcome to attend. Greg will be talking not only about his contributions to this exhibition, but his artistic practice in general. The talk will be followed by an open discussion/Q&A.


On Sunday, July 10th from 10:30 am - 5:30 pm, Ryan Stec and Howie Tsui will host a FREE workshop for teens ages 13 - 17 called "Characters in Space," which will combine character drawing with high-end live VJing techniques and culminate in the production of short experimental videos that OAG will host on this website. For information about how to register, click here. This workshop is being presented in partnership with SAW Video


From Saturday June, 25th - Sunday, August 21st, visit Invisible Cinema (315 Lisgar Street) to rent videos selected by Wyatt and Pam that relate to the themes raised in MCIMS. For a complete list of recommended viewing titles, click here.

Another long response to a comment =-)

Listening to: Daiquiri.

I always appreciate when people take the time to leave comments on this blog -- I really do want to know how various people are responding to the exhibition. Having these online conversations also encourages me to communicate more about my motivations/interpretations as a curator -- I don't want this blog to be merely a report of events.

Today I discovered a new comment that prompted a long response. Just in case they weren't easy to find hidden in the comments section of my last post, I thought I'd repost everything as a new entry.

Here goes...

Anonymous writes:

Is this show a call for help. When I walked into the gallery I felt like a giant beetle had been turned on its back was flailing about wildly , hoping someone will notice and give it hand.

Looking back on when I read the call to artist and project proposals back in the winter...I don't even recognize this show. It's just the same old hack being re-peddled. I was hoping a visiting curator would give this "scene" some fresh air. But, I guess not, seems as if she kept on with the masturbatory practice of art this city is use to.

I'll leave you with some thoughts from Emily Vey Duke " When an artist undertakes to make work that is spiritual in nature - whether that means it provokes a meditative state or a feeling of spiritual uplift or a sense of mutual responsibility and love - the risk of failure becomes really fearsome, because failing to do so is really much more serious that failing to be witty and cute...For some artists, art practice is akin to shopping for clothes or composing a shelf of books on prominent display in their apartment, as an extension of their personal style."

Here is my reponse:

Dear Anonymous,

Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment on my blog. I'm sorry to learn that your experience with My Culture Includes My Scene was so negative. Since I would like to understand what you found so unsatisfying, I hope that you'll get in touch with me via email to provide further information.

To respond to some of the points in your comment, I was wondering what you had in mind when you read the call for artists. When I establish a premise to guide my research, I aim for it to be as open as possible to account for a vast range of responses. If I already knew what I wanted to exhibit, I wouldn't have gone through the process of an open call. This is to say that I did not have a vision of what this show would look like until I started seeing work and developing a sense of how local artists were dealing with the issue of identity in truly contemporary terms. I'm not sure how anyone could have, really. I believe my role as a visiting curator is to become immersed in the local environment and after several months of viewing innovative work that can hold its own alongside that being produced elsewhere in Canada and the world, I wonder what fresh air needs to be injected?

I'm also curious about your use of the term "masturbatory" -- do you mean self-serving? Please provide more information so I can better understand. It would be particularly helpful if you could please explain what you mean in context of how you perceive the scenes in other cities. Thanks!

Finally, to respond to your inclusion of the Vey Duke quote, I wish to underscore that this exhibition was constructed largely through an open call for artists. As far as I recall, I did not receive any applications from artists attempting to discuss spirituality in ways that related to the theme, which is locating the self in a multifaceted culture, and recognizing that identity is comprised of much more than ethnicity. That being said, many of the artists in this show *have* produced work that is very witty and uses humor as a critical tool to discuss the complex nature of contemporary identity. As an additional note, I would like to add that I specifically wanted to work with artists who expressed personal style/identity through their art making in ways that reflected the constructed nature of identity. I do believe style and identity are greatly intertwined, especially in consumerist and leisure-oriented society such as ours, and that art work that reflects this is concept is a provocative acknowledgement of how we express social and ideological values.

Thank you again for your response to the exhibition. If you have not yet had a chance to read the essay that accompanies the exhibition, I hope that you will - it briefly discusses each work in the show, and communicates the fit of the work into the larger theme. Copies are available at the gallery or, if you provide me with your email address, I'd be happy to send you a .doc file. I hope that provides more information about the intent of this exhibition, but if you have any further comments/questions, I hope you'll take the chance to comment on this blog again.

Cheers!
- M.

Deer Heads at The Rideau Centre

Listening to: Ladytron

Hazel's Deer Heads are now comfy in their new [temporary] home, the Nicholas Street store windows at The Rideau Centre.

Here are a few pics of the installation... I'll save any other pics for Hazel to use in her own blog =-)

Click Here on CHUO 89 FM

Listening to: Moloko

Yesterday Dipna Horra, Darsha Hewitt and I were interviewed by Mitchell Caplan on his CHUO radio program, Click Here. We started off talking about my motivations to produce My Culture Incluedes My Scene, then Darsha described the work she produced with Stéphanie Brodeur (Magnetic Identity Liberation Front), and Dipna talked a little about her piece, Between the Folds. Mitchell closed the program with the soundtrack from Dipna's piece, which was composed by Dr. Lee.

We were all in a very light mood, and had a great deal of fun with the interview. Thanks for setting the tone, Mitchell!

Since Mitchell mentioned this blog on air, I didn't even need an excuse to pull out my camera and take a few pics.

Did anyone else take photos at the launch party?

Listening to: The Legendary Pink Dots

As described in the post below, I don't have many photos of the launch party because I was too busy being a part of the event to get any decent documentation. So, in effort to reconcile this, I'm turning to all of you.

This is an open request for anyone who took photos at the launch party to please send me a CD of images, (or email individual pics, if they aren't too large), so I can create a more comprehensive visual account of the event.

As a way of saying thank you, I will compile a "greatest hits" CD, and mail a copy to each person who submits pictures. If you would like your photos to be a part of this, please send your CD (or email pics) by Monday, July 25th. If you would like to be credited as the photographer, please mention in a note that you would like your image files to be re-named in such a way that references this.

Thank you in advance to anyone who considers doing this... it will really help a great deal, but more than that, it will help the archive be more representative of the many people who participated in making the launch party the success that it was =-)

A few pics from the launch party

Listening to: Ultravox (No... I'm not kidding).

Without further ado, here are some pictures taken from the launch party. I had really hoped to get more, and I had my camera in my hand all night long, but everything was just too exciting and I got too distracted! I'm going to make another post about this specifically, but if anyone has any pictures from the night of the launch party, PLEASE send a CD to me... I would really, really appreciate it =-)


Mela and John getting into the festive spirit


The only picture I have of people in the gallery. This was taken fairly early on, I know it got much more crowded than this ;-)


Stefan St-Laurent and Jason St-Laurent with million watt smiles =-)


Howie Tsui, pretty hyped.


Me n' Hazel Meyer complete with Deer Heads.


More of Hazel's "herd" ;-)


Meanwhile, out on the lawn...


Tungda Browne set the stage on fire! (This is the only pic I have where Shaun, Colin and Stephen are each visible... if anyone has any better pics, please do send them my way=-)


The "white cube" piñata close to being obliterated. The Value Village and dollar store goodies that fell out of it were delightful!


Tibi Tibi's presentation about volcanos featuring special guest, Allison, as the lava flow.


Linus and Chris are probably going to kill me for this one, but it's the only picture I have of both of them at the tables, so please send in party pix!! PLEASE! =-)

Back to "normal", whatever that means =-)

Listening to: Joy Division.

Between Hot Mush and the Cold North, Juxt@pose, the golf tournament and My Culture Includes My Scene (+ the launch party), everyone at the gallery has been beyond busy. As a result, this morning was the first opportunity we had for me to give staff members a tour of the exhibition. I always enjoy giving tours, and this one was no exception. In particular, I like how every tour is different, and how each one provides me with insights into the work based on audience interpretations and comments. My "official" curators' tour is scheduled so close to the end of the exhibition for this very reason -- the more time I get to spend with both visitors and the artists and their work, the more I get to learn.

In other news, Lea and I will be installating the second part of Hazel Meyer's installation, Deer Heads, in the Nicholas Street windows of the Rideau Centre tomorrow. I can't wait to see how it looks! I love her little sketch drawing of it, but the finished drawing will be as much a surprise to me as it will be the rest of the city ;-).

Oooh! That reminds me -- this past Saturday, Howie accompanied Hazel and her herd of deer through the Byward Market and the Rideau Centre. The response was as varried as anyone might imagine. He took a bunch of great photos to document the performance, but I'll leave them for Hazel to post as part of her own blog. The next two performances are taking place on July 30th and August 20th. Keep your eyes peeled!!

THANK YOU OTTAWA!!!

Listening to: Goldfrapp

It's been days since the My Culture Includes My Scene launch party, and I'm still glowing!

Thank you to EVERYONE who attended on Friday night -- all 550 - 600 of you!! Of course, that's just the number of people we estimate stepped into the gallery and onto the lawn... I noticed that there were still a great number of others dancing on the sidewalk around Arts Court ;-) I tried to speak with as many people as possible that night, and I hope to continue having conversations about the exhibition over the next few months. Please do leave comments, and/or send me an email if you'd like to chat!

Thank you to the artists -- your enthusiasm for each other's work, the exhibition, and the launch party was contagious! All of you did so much to make the event as welcoming as possible, and I really appreciate that. Plus, those of you who did performances were incredible!! All kinds of people got wrapped up with Dipna's sari (*tee hee*), Tungda Browne was as tight as ever and completely made the crowd lose control, Hazel's herd of Deer could have stopped traffic ANYWHERE, Darsha and Stephanie (as the Ottawa Chapter of M.I.L.F.) set countless people free, and Tibi Tibi's presentation was thoroughly educational, to say the very least ;-)

DJ Booth and DJ Chameleonic -- thank you for delivering the most awesome energy imaginable. It was so cool to see the building so ALIVE! Plus, that Joy Division/Missy Elliot mix was hot! At least, I think so ;-)

Gigantic thanks to Long & McQuade and Jerod Currie (our brilliant sound technician) for making the bands and DJs sound INCREDIBLE! When I went to pick up the equipment earlier that day, I was floored -- I couldn't believe how generous Long & McQuade was in their sponsorship of our event!! Thank you =-)

Hugely heartfelt thanks also go out to Jägermeister for supplying not only some of it's finest, but great Jägermeister shot glasses as well. As I understand, MCIMS was one of the first times Jägermeister has ever sponsored an event at an art gallery, so I hope this is the start of a new tradition =-). THANK YOU!

Thank you to The Canada Council for the Arts for supporting my ideas and ambition through the Assistance to Culturally Diverse Curators for Residences in the Visual Arts Program grant. I wouldn't have been able to do this exhibition without it. In addition, thank you to John Hobday for opening the launch party with such perfectly suited words -- Ottawa is a really cool city, and it's got the art and culture to prove it!

Graham J of XVI, Ricky Alvarez, Aaron Mckenzie Fraser, and countless others whose names should be listed here... Thank you SOOOO much for helping me promote this event!!

Enormous thank yous go to OAG staff and volunteers (including spontaneous volunteers like Mark!!) for giving it their all and making sure the night ran smoothly. I'm very thankful to OAG and Arts Court for supporting the idea of the launch party, and helping to get the building ready for it.

Immeasurable thanks are owed to Chris Poulsen for everything!!!!

And finally, I want to say: thank you Ottawa for letting me visit, learn about all the amazing art being produced here, and throw this party =-) =-)

Strange font sizes...

Listening to: Dr. Lee's soundtrack to Dipna Horra's installation, Between the Folds.

There's SOOOO much going on that I don't really have time to write at the moment, but I noticed the font sizes are suddenly wonky thoughout my blog. I'm not sure what's wrong, since they looked fine yesterday. I just wanted to appologize because it looks like I'm shouting at you ;-) I'll look into the problem on Monday...

Right now, we need to prepare for the launch party!! The band has arrived, and the sound equipment is being set up. I can't wait to hear how it sounds!! More than that, I can't wait until everyone can start dancing out on the lawn!!

=-) =-)

Finishing touches

Listening to: Suede

I can't believe I forgot to bring my camera today!! I'm sorry this is going to be a post without pictures...

The first bit of excitement today came in the form of Anita's article in Xpress about the exhibition -- her response to the exhibitionw as very positive, and I was really cool that she took the time to write about the work of some of the participating arists in detail. In case you'd like to read it, here is the URL: http://www.ottawaxpress.ca/visualarts/visualarts.aspx?iIDArticle=6454.

Otherwise, it was great to see the finishing touches put on the gallery in time for the media preview. The only things that have yet to be completed are Tibi Tibi's volcano and Firuz and Tiffany's DVD console. Actually, Chris and I spent some time helping out later in the evening before the Available Light Screening Collective presentation at Club SAW. It had been YEARS since I'd worked with papier mache, and I'm actually quite happy that Tibi Tibi didn't mind me chipping in to help. It makes me want to come up with papier mache projects of my own just so I can have a chance to do it again ;-)

The launch party

Listening to: No Doubt (still...)

I just wanted to take a chance to mention that the launch party is TOMORROW NIGHT!

Friday, June 24th from 8:30 pm - Midnight
The Ottawa Art Gallery / Arts Court
2 Daly Avenue @ Nicholas

There will be art all night long including performances by Tibi Tibi Neuspiel, Hazel Meyer, Dipna Horra, Stephanie Brodeur & Darsha Hewitt, as well as a live music by rockabilly/punk/ska band Tungda Browne, and funky mash-up sets by DJ Booth & DJ Chameleonic, plus other "peformances" that will just kinda happen. I like surprises, too ;-)

In addition to tons of food and drink, there will be plenty of other fun stuff (i.e. a pinata filled with cool stuff from Value Village ;-) *ha ha* Hey, if ya want, you can even bring your own fun -- knitters etc are welcome to set out a blanket on the Arts Court lawn and soak up the sights and sounds =-)

I hope the weather holds!!

First Comment Inspires LOOOOOOOOONG Reply =-)

Listening to: No Doubt

It's the eye of the storm -- the galleries are almost installed completely, we are hosting a media preview today from 3:00 - 5:00, and we are getting ready to set up for the party tomorrow. Hence the "eye" of the storm... I have my suspicions as to how crazy things will become, starting with the pick up of crowd control barricades from the city yards around 8:00 am ;-)

But, all this is to say that I've finally had a chance to sit down at my desk!

I checked into the blog, and discovered that someone has already left a comment. Thank you!! This is what the blog is for -- conversation about the show =-) I really appreciated Miss Twist's comment, and hope that everyone will get a chance to read our exchange, so I'm reposting it here as a new entry...

Miss Twist wrote:

Is this show really called, "My culture is my scene"? That is not the best title for an exhibition.Let me explain. Since the majority of artists in this exhibition seem to be affiliated with the OAG and/or SAW, I feel the title of the exhibition is speaking to You and your scene, not me or my scene, or my friends, or the people around me who share an interest in art here in Ottawa.Perhaps, not being under 30, I'm just too old.

I replied (at length... sorry about the length... there's just so much to say, and it's made worse by the fact that I'm pretty chatty ;-):

Hi Miss Twist!

Thanks so much for your comment =-) I'm really happy to took the time to write.

The show is actually called "My Culture Includes My Scene", and it's primarily a response to the popular notion that culture consists only of that which is derived from ethnic identity. Culture, as an idea, is so complex and multifaceted that no single source can be given primacy. When curating this exhibition, I was looking for artists who produced work that referenced their participation in many kinds of cultural spheres; not just the art world, but music, fashion, technology, consumer and popular culture, and different types of diversity like sexual orientation and ideological sensibility.

One of the inspirations for this exhibition arose from the terms of the Canada Council grant I was very fortunate to receive. It is called "Assistance to Culturally Diverse Curators for Residences in the Visual Arts", and it invited curators to draw upon their own cultural experiences as the starting point for an exhibition. Since I am half South-Asian and half-European, lived my adult life in Toronto (a city with enormous diversity of all kinds, as you know), and was primarily immersed in the club scene before I even discovered the art scene, I have generally looked at culture through these lenses; I see it as something that is creative, social, made at ground level and hybridized.

All this being said, I have worked to create an exhibition that I hope expresses the experience of moving through the world, picking and choosing likes/dislikes, then re-interpreting those influences and communicating them as part of personal identity. True: almost all artists take inspiration from the outside world; however, the work presented in this exhibition does not merely incorporating such influences, but is specifically about them... in some cases, with a satirical edge.

Ultimately, I think this is an experience that many of us, particularly in Canada, can relate to no matter how old we are. Unless we shut ourselves down socially, and refuse to acknowledge changes in the world around us, we always have to act and react. MCIMS is about the process of acting and reacting -- it's about locating ourselves in the world at large.

Now, to address your interesting point about the affiliations of these artists, I think it is important to remember that I am a visiting curator to Ottawa -- I arrived in mid-September 04, and I am staying until September 05. I didn't know anyone here before I moved, so I made a very strong point of getting to know as many local artists as possible. I issued a call for artists (via internet and hard copy fliers) so that I could become familiar with as much work as possible. One thing that was notable about this process was that, even though the call specifically indicated that I was searching for artists with ties to the Ottawa region, I received piles of applications from artists across Canada (especially Toronto). As a result, there was a lot of great work that I had to decline.

When I curate, I am motivated first by an idea or issue, then I go out and find work that is responsive to that issue or idea. By this I do not mean work that is "supportive", but work that takes a strong, articulate, critical position. The artists in this show are the ones that submitted an application, and the ones that, in passing, I discovered and thought: "WOW! The ideas I'm working with are not just isolated in my own mind, but things that others are working through as well. Here's a really intriguing example."

I hope that you'll visit MCIMS, and in particular, the launch party, which is intended to welcome everyone (especially people who have not attended an exhibition or event at OAG before). I hope the over-arching themes I've described above are visible through the work that is being presented. Please let me know what you think -- I'd really like to know =-)

Maybe I'll come up with a better title for this post later?

Listening to: Lansing-Dreiden.


Stephanie and Darsha fine tuning the M.I.L.F's power supply.


Tibi Tibi and the makings of a volcano.


Darsha's puppy, Dingo, scoping out stuff being stored in my office.


Stefan and Dingo during our visit to SAW.

Even less words, and even more photos

Listening to: Xiu Xiu


Firuz posing glam while Jacintha does all the work ;-)


Tibi Tibi surveying for a volcano.


Regrouping and relaxing.


Stephanie and Darsha searching for signs of life.


Jason testing out his layout options.


Howie plotting his next move.

Arrivals and Set Up

Listening to: The Pixies

As you can imagine, things are extra busy these days, so I don't have as much time to write as I'd like. I have been taking quite a few photos of the installation in process, so I'll post a few of those instead.

Dipna's multi-media installation, Between the Folds, began today. Things went even better (that is, faster) than expected thanks to Lee and Blair's help. By the end of the day, it was looking close to finished!











Also of note, today Hazel drove in from Montreal with her Deer Heads. They've made an incredible first impression, and everyone who has seen them so far, are looking forward to seeing them on parade!

There's actually a lot more done than this pic would have you believe...

Listening to: Iggy Pop



Stefan's work is completely installed, TTT's tech is in place (console starts Monday, I think...), Ryan's piece is done, I've finally become comfortably with the decision I had to make of putting Hazel and Tibi's works on the other side of the room, and bringing Shaun's closer to Howie's.

Monday is going to be pretty crazy... more artists will be on site to install, in fact, I think everyone (except Juan Carlos, of course) will be in town. Cool! I'd like to do a media preview on Thrusday, so that means we should aim to be at least 85% done on Wednesday night. I wonder what the chances are...

*Gleee!*

Listening to: Simple Minds

Wicked! Caitlin Crockard of Chart Attack slipped in a preview of MCIMS as part of her column, Ottawa Buzz =-)

Elsewhere next weekend, the Ottawa Art Gallery blows away the notion of the traditional vernissage with a launch party that blurs the lines between music, art and other cultural pursuits.

"My Culture Includes My Scene" is an exhibition of artists with ties to Ottawa who explore notions of cultures and subcultures, all with an eye toward emphasizing the personal tastes and preferences that form identities, explains curator Milena Placentile.

"Those are the things that people tend to more actively express on a daily basis through things like fashion, music and what they do for fun."

Accordingly, a rock show fits perfectly. It takes place on June 24 from 8:30 to midnight both inside the gallery and outside on the lawn of Arts Court. The musical entertainment includes Tungda Browne, art school grads who kick up a blend of rockabilly punk and ska, and DJ Booth. Placentile says Booth "can deliver a completely hybrid sound that resonates with the theme of the show ? that culture consists of everything, and how we each mix it up, reinterpret it and make it our own is what matters."

Media Frenzy! *tee hee hee*

Listening to: Gavin Friday

Wow! Anita from Xpress stopped by today to preview My Culture Includes My Scene, and I think she really liked it =-) I'm looking forward to the article that will be in next week's issue, and I really appreciate that it will come out just in time to help us promote the launch party on Friday, June 24th. I'm still not sure if our bid for the cover will come to fruition or not, but with any luck, I'll spend Monday scrambling to gather the artists for a shoot with Aaron Mckenzie Fraser

In other media news, the interview I did with Tony for Guerilla was released today. It's really amazing that so many people in Ottawa are taking an interest in this exhibition, and by extension, the work of young local artists. It's true: Ottawa's art scene is really becoming a force to be reckoned with. I'm very happy that I've had the opportunity to catch it at this moment in time!

S'lookin' good!!

Listening to: DeVision

Howie's mural, Garbly-Gook, is *already* starting to look awesome!!

Small Victories

Listening to: Rush hour hum.

Thanks to my natural tendency to worry, and the very muggy weather we've been having lately, I had a very strange MCIMS dream last night.

The scene was this: there was no sound equipment, no lighting, and no steps that would allow the DJs and band get onto the stage, so the performers decided to cancel. To make up for this, I was expected to perform dance routines that were choreographed for five dancers. I didn't know most of the steps, and couldn't keep track of which parts I were most important in order to communicate the whole dance to the audience.

*ha ha*

Today, I still have no idea how we'll get enough electricity for this event, but I did secure turntables and a DJ mixer (thank you Long & McQuade!!), as well as steps to reach the stage. *Whew!*

In other good news, the exhibition brochures have also arrived and I hear that I may have fliers soon =-)

MCIMS Launches in 18, 17, 16...

Listening to: Morrissey.

Wow! MCIMS launches in 16 days, and it finally feels like things are starting to happen. The invitations have arrived, the brochure has passed it's final proof, I've met with the techs about the installation, I've been posting ads online and speaking with the media, Suki is making hard-copy fliers, art work is starting to arrive, I got to see a preview of Firuz and Tiffany's Genes, Memes and Scenes, I finally got to meet with Arts Court staff about our electricity requirements for the light and sound, and it's been confirmed that Jägermeister is providing shots -and- glasses =-).

This is where the "magic" is going to happen on June 24th... I can't wait to see how it is transformed!

The MCIMS Logo!

Listening to: Portishead



Suh-wEEEt!! Many thanks are owed to Greg at the Ink Spot for the killer tribal design, and Suki and Glen for adding the text =-) Thanks!

Monday

Listening to: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

One of the things I like to do when curating a group exhibition, is facilitate opportunities for the artists to get to know each other either by meeting in person (where geography permits), or sparking conversation via email/listservs. Since all of the artists in this show have ties to the Ottawa region, and most of them live in Ottawa, almost everyone was already well acquainted. However, since not everyone knew each other, and since most were unaware of what the others were doing for the exhibition, my partner and I invited everyone over to our place for a little get together.

It turned out to be a lot of fun! After making introductions, we spent some time talking about the exhibition in general and planning for the launch party. Once the "business" portion of our "meeting" was complete, we spent time hanging out over food and drink -- it was definitely an enjoyable way to spend a Monday night. Besides that, I think the little event helped to build a stronger sense of community/common purpose, which I think has made us all the more enthusiastic about the exhibition. At least, that's what a few people have said =-) I'll let the artists be the judge, should any of them decide to comment on this post =-)



More pictures coming soon!