UNCOMMON SPACES

An interplay of light and darkness that transforms ordinary figures and objects into poetic, perceptual experiences


5 minutes pour que je te dise
Barbara Diabo
5 minutes
“Curtain warmers” by indigenous artists from all disciplines on multiple Montréal stages during the month of April 2017. Curated by Catherine Joncas, this series of short presentations calls for an opening and sharing in the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation. 5 minutes pour que je te dise is the prelude to the programming for Printemps autochtone d’Art 3, presented by Ondinnok, in collaboration with the Montréal Accès-Culture network from April to June 2017.


Habiter
Katia-Marie Germain
35 minutes
In a breakfast table setting reminiscent of everyday reality, illuminated by a single light source, interdisciplinary artist Katia-Marie has imagined a visual choreography for two performers. This work explores the relationship between body and place, the resonance between bodies and objects. An aesthetic of chiaroscuro unveils a series of both strange and familiar actions that are punctuated by the intermittent movement of light, and which temporarily plunge the room into darkness. Playing with illusion and perception of time, the visible and invisible movements of the bodies quietly and subtly alter the visual space as if a painting is coming to life before our eyes. We are called on to pay close attention as the familiar becomes an increasingly strange fiction. As if a “poetic in-between,” this performance juggles the codes of the visual arts and dance to renew our perception of theatrical space.


Closer Than They Appear
Karen Fennell & Nikki Forrest
35 minutes
From their respective backgrounds in dance and media arts, these two unconventional artists come together to investigate the subjective nature of perception using live and pre-recorded movement, sound, and video. With a propensity for the irrational and absurd, images are constructed that challenge us to question the relationships between human bodies, ordinary objects, and technology. Exposed to the inherent fragility and interconnectedness of these entities, we are drawn into a state of openness and empathy that affords us a new way of experiencing live performance and indeed our everyday lives.