By Andrew James Paterson Norbert Klassen has presented two performances at the 2008 7a*11d Festival (on Friday October 24 and also the following evening—the Saturday night). Both were distinguished by performance presence, deceptively informal but very precise pacing or timing, and a wonderfully perverse humour. Klassen was born in Duisburg, Germany in 1941, and has …
Creative Resident Profile: Norbert Klassen (AJP) Read More »
By Elaine Wong We return again to XPACE, and there is something new in the gallery window to replace Alejandra Herrera‘s installation. It is a blue ceramic bowl and a pair of brown leather shoes, but they aren’t for use tonight, so I will have to wait to find out what they are for. When …
By Andrew James Paterson After enjoying a delightful tea with the performance artist Norbert Klassen, we trudged off to the subway entrance at Queen and University by the big shiny new opera house. I had hoped that Gustavo Alvarez was intending to perform one of his public actions in relation to the opera house, but …
By Elaine Wong Her mural, Quiet River, has developed a lot of depth since the last time I have seen it. The faces bordering the image all have eyes and noses (and, pointedly, no mouths). They have ears on their outstretched hands, reaching to listen in on the events happening in the centre of the …
Creative Resident Profile: Chaw Ei Thein—From the Outside (EW) Read More »
By Elaine Wong On Harbord Street just west of Spadina, there is a small gallery that is housing another portion of the festival: a screening of some of Lezli Rubin-Kunda‘s recent video works. The screening contains three separate videos, of which two (Down to Earth and A Walk with Mask, Streamers and Sardine Cans) are …
By Elaine Wong In a previous statement about her art, Sylvette Babin described herself as un être hybride, a hybrid being without a fixed discipline. Eight years later, the idea of hybridity, of being able to combine and draw from different media, is still a positive facet of her art. She has created and choreographed …
Creative Resident Profile: Sylvette Babin—The Art of Sound, and the Sound of Art (EW) Read More »
By Andrew James Paterson I had been tipped off the Chihuahua-based performance artist Gustavo Alvarez (Musgus) had been planning a performance action starting at the bus stop by the Old City Hall at three o’clock. I get there early and nobody’s there. I think of checking out the City Hall Library and checking my email …
October 29, 2008 By Elaine Wong In her quest to become plant-like, this afternoon Sakiko Yamaokaperformed the first action of a series entitled Wind from Sky (Human Beings Are Plants) in a local flower shop, in which she set up a chair for herself and for any other participants who felt florally inclined. She commented …
By Andrew James Paterson Late in the afternoon, I found myself with idle time so I decided to check in on the Creative Residents working out of Toronto Free Gallery. Chaw Ei Thein’s mural—Quiet River—had been extended much further than what I had briefly glimpsed late last week. A row of Burmese monks at the …
By Elaine Wong This afternoon Sakiko Yamaoka led a small group of adventurers through the financial district of Toronto in search for the Best Place to Sleep, a piece whose name changes to Come with Me when performed with participants. Yamaoka led us through a series of banks where as a group, we lay down …