Art Matters presents 120 student artists across the city
My Father and I is a photographic series by Laurie Kang about her dysfunctional relationship with her father. Together, they perform and 'play' their relationship in a constructed environment.
Laurie Kang
Even the most ardent art lovers may find themselves overwhelmed with choices when Art Matters opens next week. In its seventh year, Art Matters is the largest student-run art exhibition in Canada, showcasing the work of over 120 emerging artists in 19 venues across the city.
Although more than 350 submissions from Concordia students were received by the organizers, breaking all previous records for the festival, the number of events and venues have been limited to maintain high-quality installations and to make sure it doesn't get out of hand.
Held over 17 days, from March 2 to 18, there is a plethora of events to choose from. Each event groups similar themes with a variety of media used to explore these themes.
The Friendly Fire exhibit at Art Mûr promises to be interesting with the use of print media, photography, fibres, sculpture, video, painting, drawing and even gardening to explore how we deal with vast social, economic and political structures.
Force Fields invites you to join 10 artists as they explore the boundaries of personal space and test the limits of the conventional exhibition through installations. Force Fields will be held at the Long Hall, an artist-run gallery that doubles as home to artists Vanessa Yanow and John Tinholt. In Dine with Me, Raed Moussa actually prepares a meal for consumption by attendees. RSVPs are necessary for this performance.
Nuit blanche is an annual all-night cultural festival that takes place in cities across the world. This year, Art Matters is collaborating with Nuit blanche to present Get a Life at the Darling Foundry. This group exhibit on existentialist angst runs from Feb. 28 to March 15, with special performances opening night.
If you're closing bars on the weekends of March 8 to 11 and March 15 to 18, stroll past La Centrale after 7 p.m. and before 4 a.m. to see an hour-long loop of photo- and video-based work by female artists entitled Les Nocturnelles - Ladies of the Night.
Every exhibit is free and open to the public. More information and full program available at artmatters.concordia.ca