Emergency Preparedness Week
08.05.12
In anticipation of Art of the Danforth 2012 the Government of Canada has declared May 6-12th Emergency Preparedness Week. Which makes sense mostly, if you consider "natural disasters" and "bomb threats" equivalent to "budget oversights" and "production schedules".
Or if you're really down with the analogizing you might even start thinking of sonotubes/plywood as food/water and that would be a perfectly appropriate way to process resources in the advent of this contemporary art festival.
At this juncture we are almost never not tripping on plexiglass and stencils and it is as awesome as it is finite considering post-EPW these materials will not (only) be materials but will (also) be ART.
The program is being finalized and the project descriptions you will find in the program are already available on the AOD website but awareness initiatives are the new awareness initiatives and all up in your newsfeed and so are we. Get informed:
A TEMPORARY HISTORY (by Emily Dicarlo) is a site-specific intervention that highlights the diversity and age of the local businesses in Zone 3. A scattered timeline on the sidewalk defines the range and flux of a local economy in the east end community of Toronto, visually presenting a simplified snapshot of businesses’ lives. This survey chronicles the variety of dates local businesses first opened their doors along Danforth Avenue and asks owners what circumstances led them there.
THREADS (by Nick Sweetman) - Communities, responding to their constantly shifting urban context, undergo continuous structural change – the aggregate result of individuals living together in a shared place. Using an abstract visual metaphor, Threads highlights this continuous transition – sometimes gradual, sometimes rapid. As the frame demarcates the physical space a community occupies, the different ‘threads’ of color, symbolizing different community members passing through this space, mix and change one another as well as the overall picture -
INTEGRATION (by Carly Shields) - Toronto, being a multi-cultural hub, contains many Myths and Legends brought from our immigrating citizens over the years. The mural “Integration” portrays many well known figures from those legends, whimsically intermingling to create a bright, cartoonish scene. Accompanying the mural we will have live readings of the stories contained within the scene, providing a family friendly and educational experience for its viewers.
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT? (by WJ Wilson) is a photo-based sculpture that acts as a commentary on occupation of urban space and societal class. Throughout the festival, the sculptures orientation is dictated by its reception, embodying a placeless nomad existence. Free of consequence, the large formatted picture becomes a flattened spectacle creating a safety for viewers to stop, gawk and stare. Fundamentally we are led to question our behavior that if this image were real, would we simply ignore its presence?
ART OF THE DANFORTH INNOVATORS' FAIR: A SERIES OF PROGRAMLESS PAVILIONS (By Department of Unusual Certainties) is an experiment in shared ownership. Temporary pavilions are injected into East Lynn Park. Are these pavilions beautiful? Or are they useful? Lacking a certain finish they are nothing if not flexible. Either all skin in need of bones or all bones in need of skin; citizens bring them to life by adapting them to fulfill a personal, social, economic, or political need.
THE CALVIN CYCLE (by Jacqui Arntfield) is a text based sculptural installation which isolates the critical stage in plant cell metabolism during which energy is collected and converted from light to address scale and temporality. The project examines a parallel apparent in the whole of an organism in reference to its parts, the parts of an organism in reference to its whole and the whole of any finite organism in reference to its part in a larger persisting structure.
HAIR (by Riccardo Pecora) intends on acknowledging the concept of identity and the struggle for the recognition and identification of that assumed identity; including how we crave to be distinguished by and from others and how we attempt to discern ourselves from the people around us. Using popular film and television clips, the piece will establish these points of reference that the everyday person uses to establish their individuality.
08.05.12
In anticipation of Art of the Danforth 2012 the Government of Canada has declared May 6-12th Emergency Preparedness Week. Which makes sense mostly, if you consider "natural disasters" and "bomb threats" equivalent to "budget oversights" and "production schedules".
Or if you're really down with the analogizing you might even start thinking of sonotubes/plywood as food/water and that would be a perfectly appropriate way to process resources in the advent of this contemporary art festival.
At this juncture we are almost never not tripping on plexiglass and stencils and it is as awesome as it is finite considering post-EPW these materials will not (only) be materials but will (also) be ART.
The program is being finalized and the project descriptions you will find in the program are already available on the AOD website but awareness initiatives are the new awareness initiatives and all up in your newsfeed and so are we. Get informed:
A TEMPORARY HISTORY (by Emily Dicarlo) is a site-specific intervention that highlights the diversity and age of the local businesses in Zone 3. A scattered timeline on the sidewalk defines the range and flux of a local economy in the east end community of Toronto, visually presenting a simplified snapshot of businesses’ lives. This survey chronicles the variety of dates local businesses first opened their doors along Danforth Avenue and asks owners what circumstances led them there.
THREADS (by Nick Sweetman) - Communities, responding to their constantly shifting urban context, undergo continuous structural change – the aggregate result of individuals living together in a shared place. Using an abstract visual metaphor, Threads highlights this continuous transition – sometimes gradual, sometimes rapid. As the frame demarcates the physical space a community occupies, the different ‘threads’ of color, symbolizing different community members passing through this space, mix and change one another as well as the overall picture -
INTEGRATION (by Carly Shields) - Toronto, being a multi-cultural hub, contains many Myths and Legends brought from our immigrating citizens over the years. The mural “Integration” portrays many well known figures from those legends, whimsically intermingling to create a bright, cartoonish scene. Accompanying the mural we will have live readings of the stories contained within the scene, providing a family friendly and educational experience for its viewers.
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT? (by WJ Wilson) is a photo-based sculpture that acts as a commentary on occupation of urban space and societal class. Throughout the festival, the sculptures orientation is dictated by its reception, embodying a placeless nomad existence. Free of consequence, the large formatted picture becomes a flattened spectacle creating a safety for viewers to stop, gawk and stare. Fundamentally we are led to question our behavior that if this image were real, would we simply ignore its presence?
ART OF THE DANFORTH INNOVATORS' FAIR: A SERIES OF PROGRAMLESS PAVILIONS (By Department of Unusual Certainties) is an experiment in shared ownership. Temporary pavilions are injected into East Lynn Park. Are these pavilions beautiful? Or are they useful? Lacking a certain finish they are nothing if not flexible. Either all skin in need of bones or all bones in need of skin; citizens bring them to life by adapting them to fulfill a personal, social, economic, or political need.
THE CALVIN CYCLE (by Jacqui Arntfield) is a text based sculptural installation which isolates the critical stage in plant cell metabolism during which energy is collected and converted from light to address scale and temporality. The project examines a parallel apparent in the whole of an organism in reference to its parts, the parts of an organism in reference to its whole and the whole of any finite organism in reference to its part in a larger persisting structure.
HAIR (by Riccardo Pecora) intends on acknowledging the concept of identity and the struggle for the recognition and identification of that assumed identity; including how we crave to be distinguished by and from others and how we attempt to discern ourselves from the people around us. Using popular film and television clips, the piece will establish these points of reference that the everyday person uses to establish their individuality.
Coming Soon To A Neighbourhood Near You...
08.04.12
Dear dear internet,
As you may recall, we have our curatorial debut for Zone C of Art of the Danforth on the horizon. And by on the horizon we mean 41 days away. And by 41 days away we mean soon enough that it is now appropriate for you to commence scratching off the days on your calendar.
As promised, we have remained focused on our goal and - with the help of our accomplished director - navigated through the pedantic grip of bureaucracy to introduce some prodigious art into the public realm.
Pragmatics aside, we're here now to tell you a little about our conceptual framing of the zone. Here it goes:
Zone C : Chemical Equations examines the structure of basic reactions in order to activate a series of projects that represent the transformation of one state or condition to another. Serving as a testing ground, Zone C presents site-specific hypotheses in the economic, the cultural, the spatial and the self, with the intention of analyzing preexisting potentials and initiating a reevaluation of the unnoticed characteristics of the neighbourhood.
Chemical Equations will manifest a dialogue between artist and curator wherein the conceptual framework of the delineated space evolved in conjunction with and in response to the development of each unique project. As a result of this framing process, the projects have been divided into 4 subcategories:
SYNTHESIS/CULTURE: A study of the combination of two or more simple elements to form a new more complex substance.
DECOMPOSITION/SELF: A study of the breakdown into or isolation of the individual elements which compose a more complex substance.
SINGLE REPLACEMENT/ECONOMY: A study of the replacement of a single uncombined element with another in a compound.
DOUBLE REPLACEMENT/SPACE: A study of the formation of new compounds as produced by elements of the original compounds switching places.
08.04.12
Dear dear internet,
As you may recall, we have our curatorial debut for Zone C of Art of the Danforth on the horizon. And by on the horizon we mean 41 days away. And by 41 days away we mean soon enough that it is now appropriate for you to commence scratching off the days on your calendar.
As promised, we have remained focused on our goal and - with the help of our accomplished director - navigated through the pedantic grip of bureaucracy to introduce some prodigious art into the public realm.
Pragmatics aside, we're here now to tell you a little about our conceptual framing of the zone. Here it goes:
Zone C : Chemical Equations examines the structure of basic reactions in order to activate a series of projects that represent the transformation of one state or condition to another. Serving as a testing ground, Zone C presents site-specific hypotheses in the economic, the cultural, the spatial and the self, with the intention of analyzing preexisting potentials and initiating a reevaluation of the unnoticed characteristics of the neighbourhood.
Chemical Equations will manifest a dialogue between artist and curator wherein the conceptual framework of the delineated space evolved in conjunction with and in response to the development of each unique project. As a result of this framing process, the projects have been divided into 4 subcategories:
SYNTHESIS/CULTURE: A study of the combination of two or more simple elements to form a new more complex substance.
DECOMPOSITION/SELF: A study of the breakdown into or isolation of the individual elements which compose a more complex substance.
SINGLE REPLACEMENT/ECONOMY: A study of the replacement of a single uncombined element with another in a compound.
DOUBLE REPLACEMENT/SPACE: A study of the formation of new compounds as produced by elements of the original compounds switching places.
New News !
13.01.12
Happy 2012, all. Let's make it count. For us this will mean spending the first half staying seriously focused on ensuring the upcoming Art of the Danforth public art festival is critical, contemporary and everything you never knew you wanted. With this goal in mind, we would like to get you more informed on (and excited about) what to expect. So here it is - the coveted list of the participating artists in our zone (3):
Department of Unusual Certainties
Nick Sweetman
Carly Shields
Riccardo Pecora
Jacqui Arntfield
Emily Dicarlo
W.J. Wilson
Check out the curatorial page on our site for details about this all star lineup.
Thank You
23.10.11
Last night was wicked. A big thank you to everyone who made it out to see our installation and the good bikes and the moustache and the stellar bands. We were so pleased to be involved.
For anyone looking for some documentation of the work we did, pictures will be coming your way soon at:
http://www.facebook.com/Equalateral.
And like us while you're there to stay connected.
AVROFEST!
21.10.11
The Avro has organized an event at the Opera House to celebrate community, art and music in Toronto's east end. And we here at EQUΔLΔTERΔL are proud to be contributing alongside some other very talented individuals.
The event also serves as tribute to Jack Layton, which makes participating all that much more important to us and the piece we will be installing was developed in honour of him and the profound impact he has made on our city.
Here is a little something we wrote about it what you will be seeing from us this Saturday (Oct. 22):
Reverberate, a sculptural/sound installation, consists of an empty podium accompanied by an original score composed as a representation of the legacy of a great political leader. The empty podium is stationed in front of both a spotlight and a mirror.
The installation plays on the themes of absence and agency and the latent correlation of these qualities. The persisting message of this leader finds presence in an ethereal auditory form but visually an absence is tangible.
Independent of interaction, the empty podium may function only as a reminder of a loss. However, if engaged with, the occupied podium can instead serve as a reminder of an individual's freedom, power and responsibility to activate a space and continue to create new meaning.
Reverberate can be experienced either as a viewer or as an actor, audience or agent. The podium can be a symbol or a platform. The role of choice is integral to the development of its significance.
21.10.11
The Avro has organized an event at the Opera House to celebrate community, art and music in Toronto's east end. And we here at EQUΔLΔTERΔL are proud to be contributing alongside some other very talented individuals.
The event also serves as tribute to Jack Layton, which makes participating all that much more important to us and the piece we will be installing was developed in honour of him and the profound impact he has made on our city.
Here is a little something we wrote about it what you will be seeing from us this Saturday (Oct. 22):
Reverberate, a sculptural/sound installation, consists of an empty podium accompanied by an original score composed as a representation of the legacy of a great political leader. The empty podium is stationed in front of both a spotlight and a mirror.
The installation plays on the themes of absence and agency and the latent correlation of these qualities. The persisting message of this leader finds presence in an ethereal auditory form but visually an absence is tangible.
Independent of interaction, the empty podium may function only as a reminder of a loss. However, if engaged with, the occupied podium can instead serve as a reminder of an individual's freedom, power and responsibility to activate a space and continue to create new meaning.
Reverberate can be experienced either as a viewer or as an actor, audience or agent. The podium can be a symbol or a platform. The role of choice is integral to the development of its significance.
Officially Announced
02.09.11
We are very excited to have been selected to curate for AoD, which will run for the duration of May 10 – June 10, 2012. Currently, we are working with a number of talented artists and collectives to produce a strong visual impact and large-scale presence within this public realm.
Beginning at West Lynn Ave. and ending past Cedarvale Ave. at the Mennonite Church, along Danforth Ave., the neighbourhood of Zone 3 proves to be a place of transition and potential. With many empty storefronts, torn down vacant lots, bare walls, the large East Lynn park, and the Woodbine Subway station in the center, we will be curating multidisciplinary projects that critically engage with this urban landscape and the community which inhabits it.
02.09.11
We are very excited to have been selected to curate for AoD, which will run for the duration of May 10 – June 10, 2012. Currently, we are working with a number of talented artists and collectives to produce a strong visual impact and large-scale presence within this public realm.
Beginning at West Lynn Ave. and ending past Cedarvale Ave. at the Mennonite Church, along Danforth Ave., the neighbourhood of Zone 3 proves to be a place of transition and potential. With many empty storefronts, torn down vacant lots, bare walls, the large East Lynn park, and the Woodbine Subway station in the center, we will be curating multidisciplinary projects that critically engage with this urban landscape and the community which inhabits it.
Art of the Danforth is pleased to announce our four curatorial teams who will be creating the large visual elements to the 2012 festival:
1. Zone A- Brad Tinmouth & Lili Huston-Herterich (Butcher Gallery)
--
http://www.butchergallery.com
http://www.bradtinmouth.com
http://www.lilihustonherterich.com
2. Zone B - Annie Onyi Cheung, Laura Mendes & John Loerchner (Labspace)
–
http://www.labspacestudio.com
http://www.onyi-ajar.com
3. Zone C - Jacquelyn Arntfield, Emily DiCarlo & W.J. Wilson (EQUΔLΔTERΔL)
--
http://www.equalateral.ca/
4. Float Zone - Ladan Ali, Nicole Bazuin, Alexandra Hong & Cheryl Hsu
1. Zone A- Brad Tinmouth & Lili Huston-Herterich (Butcher Gallery)
--
http://www.butchergallery.com
http://www.bradtinmouth.com
http://www.lilihustonherterich.com
2. Zone B - Annie Onyi Cheung, Laura Mendes & John Loerchner (Labspace)
–
http://www.labspacestudio.com
http://www.onyi-ajar.com
3. Zone C - Jacquelyn Arntfield, Emily DiCarlo & W.J. Wilson (EQUΔLΔTERΔL)
--
http://www.equalateral.ca/
4. Float Zone - Ladan Ali, Nicole Bazuin, Alexandra Hong & Cheryl Hsu
The Artists Formerly Known As Othermind
20.07.11
Ladies and gentlemen, co-conspirators, active supporters, passive well-wishers, an important announcement awaits you: We here at Othermind Collective… are no longer Othermind Collective. But put your worry to rest. We are not really over. In fact, we are only just beginning…
Thus far, our experience as a collective has been an exciting, educational and undoubtedly existential time for us. We have clocked many hours in our east-end “creative room”, debating the fundamentals and future of art, meditating on the social power of the gesture, and playing with our tools at hand; guitars and ukuleles, paper and pens, microphones and cameras, whiteboards and words.
We have been fortunate enough to disseminate our insights and discoveries to you, General Audience, and for this we are eternally grateful. Dearest anyone who has answered our questions on napkins, or allowed us to find what you lost, or made a public wish on a streetcar, THANK YOU.
These projects have led us to even bigger and better discoveries, and opportunities. Speaking of which: We have just accepted the role of curators for Art of the Danforth 2012! (http://www.artofthedanforth.com/2012-festival-details/ — check it out).
Naturally, we’re thrilled. But, just as naturally - and as any forward motion will have it - we took a subsequent step backward and inward and came to the somewhat humbling conclusion that the name “Othermind” did not represent our vision for the collective any longer. And as we evolve, so must our name.
Just as the properties of this triangle dictate, we three function as equal sides and equal angles - leaning on one another to create a complete and resilient structure. So goodbye and hello, and without further adieu, we would like to reintroduce ourselves to you as EQUΔLΔTERΔL.