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As the inspiring 2012 student strike expands into a broader social movement, the Howl! Arts Collective will be holding an outdoor concert and artistic intervention, Rêve Général Illimité. The event aims to celebrate the creative spirit in the streets during the Québec student uprsing and to draw attention to, and support for, the ongoing strike.

Rêve Général Illimité will include musical and theatrical performances, visual art installations, a screen-printing station, all inspired by the Québec student strike.

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Graphic by Nazik Da

Howl! Arts is very excited to be launching Stefan Christoff‘s musical solidarity project, Duets for Abdelrazik, this coming tuesday at Casa del Popolo as part of the Suoni per il Popolo festival. The project aims to support Abousfian Abdelrazik‘s continued struggle for justice after being jailed (without charge) and tortured in Sundan on the recommendation of CSIS in 2003. For years, he has faced countless assaults by the Sudanese and Canadian governments to both his person, his livelihood, and his dignity. Major grassroots campaigns in the US and Canada led to his return to Canada in 2009, and his eventual removal from the UN’s blacklist in 2011.

The album brings together a host of renowned Montreal-based musicians (including Peter Burton, Rebecca Foon, Radwan Ghazi Moumneh, Norman Nawrocki, and Sam Shalabi) alongside Stefan Christoff on piano for a series of beautiful and inspiring duets that seek to speak to the injustice Abdelrazik suffered, pay tribute to his struggle, and celebrate the victories of grassroots solidarity.

Facebook event page here.

Download a free track off the album here.

English translation here.

In the midst of these tumultuous times, my good friend Frédéric Dubois is organising this timely community education event on the nefarious practices of the Canadian banking system. I helped him out by quickly designing this poster/handbill, inspired by the visuals of the student movement.

Hope to see you there!

My long-standing collaboration with Memefest continues as I was asked by Oliver Vodeb to create the visuals for this year’s festival on the very timely theme of Debt. We decided to take a poetic, slightly ambiguous approach, with many subtle references, reflecting our complex relationship (and resistance) to debt.

The critical text that grounds the festival is excerpted from David Graeber’s excellent book Debt: The First 5000 Years. From the call for submissions:

DEBT IS EVERYWHERE.
It shapes our lives and defines our world.
Debt takes power from the people and places it in the hands of bankers and experts.
It wasn’t always this way.
Can we imagine a different relationship to debt?

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This coming Friday, Howl! Arts will be presenting a performance by renowned radical graphic artist Seth Tobocman, launching his latest book Understanding the Crash. Seth’s work as an artist and organiser has been central to social justice struggles over the last three decades, from the squatters movement in New York’s Lower East side in the 80s, the anti-globalisation movement in the 90s, the Palestinian solidarity movement, mobilizing support in new Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, to the Occupy movement today. We’re very excited to be bringing this important artist/activist to Montreal alongside author Eric Laursen.

Local musicians Marathon, and the Chaotic Insurrection Ensemble, whose raucous music has animated countless protests and rallies, will also be performing.

More info on Howl! Arts.

RSVP on facebook.

Promiscuous Infrastructures (Phase II) aims to visualise/materialise Artivistic’s research practice and create an inviting space for others to reflect and participate. The exhibition/installation is based around four separate, but promiscuous spaces; a central print workshop for making zines, a research library, a meeting space, and a dining room. The typo/graphic message in Skol’s entranceway (pictured above) subtly describes the political context of the project.

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Some views from the crowd during yesterday’s amazing mass protest against the tuition hikes. 200,000+, nous ne reculerons pas!

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