I cannot count the number of times I’ve remarked, “That changed my life.” It’s an exorbitant phrase, one that apparently—so I’ve been told—shouldn’t be used so casually when discussing art. I toss it around with nonchalance, proclaiming it at any mention of works that I adore. Accusations of recency bias[Read More…]
Tag: Art
Music as a medium for change: Political voices resonate through sound
Pop culture has changed drastically over the years. Many argue that the era of monoculture—when people shared the same cultural experiences, listened to the same songs, watched the same shows, and followed the same celebrities—is behind us. Audiences are now scattered across various playlists, social media platforms, and niche subcultures.[Read More…]
Breaking ground at new creative collective’s defiant art-expo and rave
I was whisked into Concrete Breaks’ Communal Art-Expo and Rave on Oct. 23 by heavy bass thrumming under my feet and a crush of people bottlenecking behind me. Once through the doors, bright projections of cityscapes flashed to my right while a diverse array of prints and poetry lined the[Read More…]
Kent Monkman’s ‘History is Painted by the Victors’ tackles colonialist mythmaking
In a world where history is painted by the victor, Kent Monkman takes on a personal challenge to tell an equally biased history, one painted by his subversive, heel-clad, hypersexual alter-ego Miss Chief Eagle Testickle. Monkman, a world-renowned queer and two-spirit artist from the Fisher River Cree Nation in Manitoba,[Read More…]
Faith in art over profit with ‘Berthe Weill: Art Dealer of the Parisian Avant-Garde’
In a corner of the exhibition’s second room, Émilie Charmy’s Still Life with Pomegranates sits beside Jacqueline Marval’s self-portrait Minerva. The scenes in oil are classical: Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, condemned to the underworld for six months for eating six pomegranate seeds, resurfacing in the spring only to descend[Read More…]
Romancing Medievalism in the modern world
Candlelight contours and illuminates the deep reds of opalescent stained glass, the candle’s bearer traversing the vacuous shadows of the castle’s towering walls. Its gothic portals and stone arcades stand overgrown in twirling vinery and moss. Inside hangs a pastoral tapestry of enchanting animals: Unicorns, leopards, and quails. Dress fabric[Read More…]
‘Costume Balls: Dressing Up History, 1870-1927’ probes imperial myths behind the glitz
In 1870, Montrealers adorned themselves with velvet and tassels and silk, and then made their way to the ball. Queen Victoria’s son, Prince Arthur—the namesake of rue Prince-Arthur—was visiting the city for the year. No expense was spared; there would be a costumed carnival, and it would be on ice.[Read More…]
AM Kanngieser’s ‘Listening as Coming To’ transports you through time
This fall, the PHI Centre is hosting Habitat Sonore: A Kind of Harmony, a series of six sound exhibitions created by different artists. Each event comprises an in-depth interview with the artist, followed by a collective listening experience for the sound piece. Most recently, the centre welcomed audiences on Oct.[Read More…]
Deanna Bowen discusses anti-Black racism in the world of art history
On Oct. 24, approximately two dozen academics gathered in Room W-215 of the Arts Building to hear Deanna Bowen, assistant professor in Concordia’s Department of Studio Arts, speak about her research-creation practice and art exhibits, her family’s history with racism in Canada, and anti-Black sentiment in the art history world.[Read More…]
Indigenous Ojibwe Anishinaabe art on campus fosters continuing conversations of reparations
McGill’s Indigenous Awareness Weeks kicked off with multiple Indigenous scholars and speakers offering students a chance to learn about the various intricacies of Indigenous culture, stories, and testimonies. On Sept. 24, a crowd gathered at the Redpath Library to listen to guest speakers Carmen Robertson and Robert Spade discuss Centering[Read More…]
