OFFTA takes over Place de la Paix
Bébitte, je t’ai sous la peau by Jean-Christophe Leblanc
On May 30 and 31, 2025, combining satire and environmental urgency, this performance—a preliminary version of a project in development—invites the audience on an immersive journey into the heart of an ecological conflict, where parasites—often seen as harmful— take the stage to redefine their role in the fragile balance of nature. Inspired by the infestation of the Białowieża Forest in Poland, where spruce trees fell victim to pests and human disputes ensued, Jean-Christophe Leblanc proposes a colorful and playful staging, where anthropomorphized “characters” engage in absurd debates. This work encourages a reflection on parasitism, collective responsibility, and empathy towards entities far too often overlooked. Free performance.
第 3 回 — when the sun is 6° between the horizon by Nien Tzu Weng
On May 30 and 31, 2025, through a performance installation combining dance and augmented reality that plays with space and light, Nien Tzu explores the passage of time and the dualities of day and night, real and virtual. Side by side, night and day, Taiwan and Montreal collide and juxtapose, reflecting the alchemy and psychedelic synthesis of the multidimensional aspects of her diasporic experience. Free performance.
Bien reçu (No Hard Feelings) by Michael Martini et invité·e·s
On May 31 and June 1, 2025, conceived and hosted by Michael Martini, this interdisciplinary performance fuses contemporary dance with elements of reality TV. The participants compete in a series of contemporary dance improvisations. At each stage, they vote privately to decide who to eliminate. The last person standing receives the only available artist's fee. Inspired by dynamics that are equally competitive and communal (Vogue balls, sports), the work questions with dry humour the possibility of having fun in a competitive context. All the while, the current climate of scarcity in the arts and culture sector colours the game at hand. Free performance.
Je me suis rendue jusqu’au bout, mais je n’ai pas trouvé la fin. by Robie Schuler
Structured in three parts, this performative triptych addresses the trauma of sexual and domestic violence. Drawing on her own experience and the accounts of others, the artist sheds light on systemic violence and the failings of the legal system, challenging the assumption that criminal and legal prosecution can ever put an end to trauma. Free performance.
Part 2 (Ce qui n’effacera rien)
Through a series of ephemeral performative gestures, this furtive public intervention evokes the boys’ club, as well as the processes of normalization, erasure, and exoneration at work in micro-aggressions and everyday gender-based violence.
Part 3 (Nous ne connaissons pas la fin de l’histoire, en attendant il y a nos mots)
Highlighting the challenges faced during the criminal prosecution process, this performance critiques the judicial system’s failure to adequately address cases of sexual and domestic violence.
Bébitte, je t’ai sous la peau by Jean-Christophe Leblanc