de Vasim, the site for Oddstream

I’ve been in the beautiful city of Nijmegen for four days now, and the Oddstream festival is getting underway. It’s been an exciting and busy time as I’ve been jumping between mentoring an amazing group of international media students and activists while also participating in Memefest‘s Mapping Socially Responsive Communication workshop. The evenings have been spent reaquainting myself (ie. drinking and drinking some more) with some old friends and collaborators (from declarations days!) and meeting many new ones. My head is swimming, and though genuine insight has yet to set in, I wanted to get some words and images out nonetheless.

(more…)

This seems appropriate. See you on the other side!

At the end of the week, I’ll be taking off on a European tour courtesy of my good friends at Memefest for the Oddstream communication and multimedia festival in Nijmegen, NL. I’ll be presenting at/mentoring a workshop on youth critical media literacy training and also participating in Memefest’s socially responsive communication workshop, alongside a host of international media activists and artists. I’m very excited to be a part of this event and to have the opportunity to share my experience from Montreal with an international audience.

After the festival, I’ll be heading to Slovenia with the Memefest crew to celebrate Oliver and Vida’s wedding!!! (and stalk Slavoj Žižek) I’ll then be heading to Berlin for a few days before rounding off my trip in London to see dear old friends from LCP. If you’re around these parts, and want to see me, hit me up!

Today and tomorrow!!!

I recently completed the poster design and art direction of promotional materials for this beautiful documentary by local filmmaker Shannon Walsh. The film is a subtle and stunning montage of the neighbourhood of St-Henri and really captures the essential romantic/nostalgic quality of life in Montreal.

From the official synopsis:

On August 26th, 2010, 16 filmmakers followed multiple stories in the Montreal neighbourhood of St-Henri. The result is a touching, funny and fascinating day-in-the-life of this eclectic community (…) Inspired by the 1962 ONF film “À St-Henri le 5 septembre”, this unique collaborative film brings together some of the brightest talents in the contemporary Montreal documentary community to capture this story.

>> More information here.

I’d been waiting to see my favourite band in the world, Godspeed You! Black Emperor for well over ten years. I had given up hope when the hiatus that began in 2003 seemed to spell the end of the band until they announced last spring they were reforming. I was ecstatic then, and I am ecstatic now. I finally got the opportunity to see them, not once, but twice this past week and was completely and utterly blown away.

(more…)

Emilie Grenier is a close friend and collaborator; a talented, multidisciplinary artist whose work focuses on narrative, interactive experience and materiality. For her application to Central St. Martin’s Textile Futures MA, I designed a limited-edition artist’s book/portfolio showcasing her multi-faceted work.

The book consists of a long 50-page accordian fold, allowing readers to pull out and lay out sections of pages, creating their own narrative through Emilie’s work. The pages were beautifully printed by Photosynthese and expertly bound into book form by Fran Sendbuehler at No Bar Code Press. The tactile qualities of the rich inks, paper and binding make it a pleasure to hold and to fold.

And yes, of course she got in! Congrats Emi!

Many more photos after the jump.

(more…)

…not once, but twice this week!

First up, on Art Threat, where I speak to Rob Maguire about Imaging Apartheid: the Poster Project for Palestine. We’ve extended the deadline, so go submit some work!

And then, alongside partner in crime John W. Stuart, on the Kitchen Bang Bang Law on CKUT. We talk to Vincent Tinguely about the ideas behind Four Minutes to Midnight, the latest issue and our upcoming event (!!!). It’s actually rather insightful! Download the mp3 audio archive here, the interview starts about ten minutes in.

Thanks Rob, Vince!

Launch of Four Minutes to Midnight Issue 11: Happy Hour by FA Nettelbeck
with the bands Nightwood and The Lindbergh Line
with readings by Moe Clark and Vincent Tinguely

Friday, April 22nd @ Cabaret Playhouse (5656 ave. du Parc)
Doors 9PM, $8 door/$15 with a copy of the issue

“…but what more could / you expect when you’re / the last of your kind /
living amongst the / incompetent others / in the light they waste”
— F.A. Nettelbeck

Four Minutes to Midnight is proud to announce the publication of its eleventh issue. The double issue features Happy Hour, the final collection of work by American poet FA Nettelbeck (1950-2011), lavishly illustrated by Montreal-based visual artist Sophie Jodoin, and Fugue XI, an epic typographic cut-up poem edited by John W. Stuart, Kevin Lo, Hillary Rexe and Sara McCulloch.

(more…)