November 2, 2008 By Elaine Wong The final day of the festival was wrapped up with a panel discussing terms of engagement: how does one create performance art, and what is the difference between performance art and performative gestures? The panelists consisted of a series of performers-and-professors: moderator and festival organizer Johanna Householder, Helsinki artist …
By Andrew James Paterson Mexico City born (and now Chihuahua-based) artist Gustavo Alvarez (also known by his alter-ego Musgus) was also a Creative Resident for the 2008 7a*11d Festival. In conjunction with his residency, Gustavo presented a series of four public realm performances and one gallery performance—on the festival’s final night which was also the …
Creative Resident Profile: Gustavo Alvarez (Musgus) (AJP) Read More »
By Andrew James Paterson Regina-based artist Robin Poitras is another of the Festival’s seven Creative Residents, who have been invited to develop and create performance works and/or actions specific to either of the 7a*11d’s two host galleries or to the public spaces of Toronto. Poitras’s body of work encompasses dance, theatre, and visual art. These …
By Elaine Wong After the audience is finished processing the events of Chaw Ei Thein‘s performance in the Toronto Free Gallery, we turn our attention to the other half of the room which is dominated by a large structure made out of lattice work and wood. A giant square base morphs into an octagonal second …
Creative Resident Profile: Glenn Lewis—An Assembly of Artifacts (EW) Read More »
By Andrew James Paterson I begin the longest day of the 7a*11d International Festival of Performance Art—the Day of the Dead—out at the Toronto Free Gallery on Bloor just east of Lansdowne. I enter the gallery for the first time since last Tuesday, and Chaw Ei Thein’s mural on the west wall has nearly tripled …
November 1, 2008 By Elaine Wong As the crowd emerged into the Toronto Free Gallery, we saw creative resident Chaw Ei Thein‘s finished mural. In addition to what I have already described in previous posts, the artist had now addressed the other half of the canvas, incorporating an embryo surrounded by bloody hand-prints, purple people …
Chaw Ei Thein’s Final Performance of Quiet River (EW) Read More »
October 31, 2008 By Elaine Wong Robin Poitras began the day’s performances with a presentation of some times three alongside Brenda Cleniuk and Leanne Lloyd. They collected in front of the Design Exchange, a single serious line of black accented in brass and red leather. The premise of the piece was simple: the three artists …
By Andrew James Paterson At twelve noon sharp, Robin Poitras presented an outdoor performance on a lovely pre-Halloween afternoon in downtown Toronto’s financial district. Poitras formed a trio with two other female artists—Brenda Cleniuk and Leanne Lloyd (both from Regina). Dressed in identical black outfits and wearing comfortable red shoes, they held umbrellas over their …
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 …