Should we ask ourselves how much comfort our productions and programming offer? How much support to an existing social and political structure to we provide? Or perhaps the inverse question, can we ask of our projects how much disruption or revolution or even democracy do they make possible? Even those projects that successfully create a mystique of discomfort or even terror provide this wrapped in the idea that the artist is in control or at least that the artist is in control of the machine…
The driving questions of Artengine
June 13th, 2014Language and the city
July 9th, 2013A recent conversation on Twitter got us thinking about how to bring thoughts about langauge and the city into our We Make The City! Poster project. We would like the people of this city to help us translate “We Make The City! We Are The City!” into as many languages as possible. We started with our francophone friends around us, and Tom Fortington and our critical writer in residence Melody McKiver got us thinking about a translation into Anishinaabemowin. How many more can join the conversation?
Towards a democratic city
May 30th, 2013On the occasion of the Creative City Summit I was given a short platform at the local Pecha Kucha Night. I took the opportunity to present a very short critique of the Creative City concept. Below are my slides for the presentation. This talk is basically a collage of ideas from (at least but not limited […]
We Make The City!
May 30th, 2013We Make The City! We Are The City! is a love letter to the city and a call to action. We are moving the festival into the public terrain because we believe it to be fertile and exciting grounds for diversion and discourse, but we are also asking the citizens to redefine how they see themselves, and thus the city around them. The city is not a fully formed structure delivered to you for consumption, but a constant evolving project in which you participate. You are the city around you and the city is you.
DAY 4 – ELECTRIC POW WOW
November 27th, 2011What better way to finish the night then to have a party. Great party was had at the Civilization Museum with the boys from A Tribe Called Red
DAY 3 – SWIM SOUND.
November 26th, 2011Swim Sound was so popular that they added a second performance last night. I went to the first performance and was very jealous I couldn’t get into the water. Something about electronics, water and me not being a great swimmer that doesn’t mix.
DAY 2 – CHURCH MUSIC.
November 25th, 2011Hope you got the chance to witness Church Music because there’s no way to explain what happened. It was a truly great evening. Well done Jean François Laporte, Martin Bédard and Roger Tellier-Craig. photos by Rémi Thériault
Electric Fields: Church Music
November 24th, 2011Roger Tellier-Craig will be one of the three performers showcased tomorrow night at 9pm at St Brigid’s Center for the Arts a part of Electric Fields. Two other performances will be Martin Bédard and Jean François Laporte. The line-up has been orchestrated through collaboration between Artengine and Montréal based electro-acoustic festival Akousma. Le Révélateur – […]
Day 1 – Polytectures
November 24th, 2011I’ll be guest photo blogging for ArtEngine as part of Electric Fields 2011. There’s a good crowd that gathered on opening night at Bytown Museum for Polytectures. Montréal’s Antoine Bédard (Montag) is producing a narrated walking experience that guides you through the architecture of downtown Ottawa. 12 local composers and musical groups have translated key buildings […]
Electric Fields: Swimming in Sound
November 9th, 2011Champagne Baths. Image courtesy Wikipedia Commons Bring your swim suit to this one-of-a-kind sound performance at Ottawa’s first municipal swimming pool. Composer and percussionist Jesse Stewart and new media artist Rob Cruickshank will perform at 10pm on Friday 25 November at the Champagne Baths, 321 King Edward Drive. Capacity is limited; advance tickets can be […]