NEW VANTAGE BLOG at www.vantageartprojects.com

This blog address will remain an archive for past Vantage Art Projects Blog Posts.

As of May 10, 2010 we have updated our re-designed website to incorporate our blog content at the same address, and not at this address.

Please go to www.vantageartprojects.com/wordpress/blog for new and update to date postings.

Thank you!

Sherri and Jennifer.

Buy your tickets now for the Canadian Art Gallery Hop in Vancouver

Tickets on sale now for the Canadian Art Gallery Hop in Vancouver

Presented in partnership with the Contemporary Art Society of Vancouver May 29, 2010

Join us for a day of art, conversation and film

The day will begin with a panel featuring curators Kitty Scott and Douglas Fogle with artists Lisa Anne Auerbach and Althea Thauberger. The panel celebrates the North American launch of Phaidon’s Creamier: Contemporary Art in Culture.

In the afternoon, take in free talks and tours by art-world experts who will explore and illuminate a selection of exhibitions in gallery districts across the city.

Complete your day with a special screening of Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, Tamra Davis’ feature documentary about the legendary artist, followed by a lively reception with fellow art lovers.

Tickets available now!
Purchase them online at casv.ca.

Hop schedule available now at canadianart.ca/vancouverhop.

For more information contact mkalaman@canadianart.ca.

Vantage Art Projects New Website Migration Underway

We are in the process of moving to our newly designed website. This WordPress site will combine our website, ecommerce shop for art and books and our blog at one url address. The address will remain: www.vantageartprojects.com. 

There may be a period of 24-48 hours during which www.vantageartprojects.com may be offline. However, this blog will remain active until we have completed the transition across to the new site. 

To contact us about the website migration or during the transition process please email info@vantageartprojects.com.

Thanks!

Sherri and Jen.

México Arte Contemporáneo with The Contemporary Art Society of Vancouver

Photo blogging by Vantage Art Projects director Jennifer Mawby of the CASV spring art tour to Zona Maco, Mexico CIty, and other museums, galleries, and private collections including the Fondation Jumex Collection.

See all the photos here on the CASV blog>> http://contemporaryartsocietyofvancouver.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html

Below: Felix Gonzales-Torres at MUAC, and Jumex Curator describing Dan Flavin's work in "The White Room" show, Fondation Jumex. 

"Internet is not a forum for ignorant slander" says the NY Times Discussion

“Once people start realizing that they will be held accountable by their peers for inflammatory or slanderous comments, Internet discussions may finally get a much needed breath of civility,” writes Kevin Brown.

Anonymous or not, responsible journalism, fact checking and the legalities of slanderous and libelous conjecture hold true in cyberspace. 

Read more here: http://ow.ly/1xrVL

Update on Vantage Point II Exhibition-In-Print

Vantage Art Projects is excited to announce that a new team of curators will be developing a three-pronged approach to the updated project for the second Vantage Point Exhibition-In-Print publication. This project was formerly known as "Gatekeepers". The new approach will see our team members developing critical writing for the project and jurying the artist submissions for publication.

The three curatorial team members are Dr. Jeanne Randolph, Kathleen Ritter, and Kate Armstrong. Dr. Randolf is based in Winnipeg and Kathleen and Kate are both based in Vancouver.

Involving more than one curator for the project was Dr. Randolph's idea in order to create a broader dialogue. We feel that this approach will allow for even more diversity in the selections for publication.

Here is a brief introduction to the team for Vantage Point II:

Dr. Jeanne Randolph is one of Canada's foremost cultural theorists, having been writing, publishing and lecturing for over thirty years. She is the author of four books, all published by YYZ Books, Toronto: Psychoanalysis and Synchronized Swimming (1993); Symbolization and Its Discontents (1997), Why Stoics Box (2003), and recently The Ethics of Luxury (2008). She is also the author of countless published articles in Canada and the United States, and has contributed texts to numerous monographs and exhibition catalogues for artists including Fastwurms, Vera Frenkel, Robin Collyer, Elizabeth MacKenzie, Bernie Miller and Ian Carr-Harris. Her pivotal essay "The Amenable Object," (1983) remains required reading in many university art courses.

Her writing is marked by an innovative approach to her chosen subject, a deeply ethical philosophical meandering that blends cultural theory and art criticism with personal history and a poetics of the imagination. A practicing psychoanalyst, Dr. Randolph is also known as engaging lecturer and performance artist whose unique vocal soliloquies--ranging from cat curating to architecture to boxing to Barbie Dolls to Wittgenstein--have been delivered in universities and galleries across Canada, as well as England, Australia and Spain. Randolph is the first and only writer in Canada to develop an Object Relations psychoanalytic theory as a medium for cultural criticism.

Kathleen Ritter is an artist and curator currently based in Vancouver. She is the assistant curator at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Her work has been exhibited at Prefix (2009), Modern Fuel (2008), the Robert McLaughlin Gallery (2008), Western Front (2004), Skol (2000), and Access (2000). Her writing has been published in the anthology Places and Non-Places of Contemporary Art (2005) and the journals ESSE, Fillip Magazine, Open Letter, Prefix Photo and SWITCH. She has curated several projects, including How Soon Is Now (2009) at the Vancouver Art Gallery, and Expect Delays (2003), a series of artist interventions that took place throughout the City of Vancouver.

Kate Armstrong is a Vancouver based writer, artist and independent curator. Her interdisciplinary practice merges networked media, written forms and urban experiences. She has written for P.S.1/MoMa, Fillip, and the Kootenay School of Writing, contributed to DAMP: Contemporary Vancouver Media Arts (Anvil Press, 2008), and is the author of Crisis & Repetition: Essays on Art and Culture (Michigan State University Press, 2002). She has lectured and held workshops on location-aware and participatory narrative at venues including the Tate Britain, Banff New Media Institute, the Obermann Centre for Advanced Studies, and Time’s Up in Linz, Austria. Recent curatorial projects include Tributaries and Text-Fed Streams for Turbulence.org and the Capilano Review (TCR), and Group Show, an exhibition for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics featuring 12 winners of the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts.

The team will be developing their updated curatorial statements including a new title for the project after which the call for submissions will be reopened. 

Please email us at info@vantageartprojects.com if you have any direct questions about the project.

Best, 

Sherri and Jennifer, 

Directors, Vantage Art Projects

Update to the Gatekeepers Open Call for Submissions

A public announcement will be made shortly about the updates to the Gatekeepers project.

The project is continuing with a stellar new curatorial/jury team. This team will be crafting both a revised curatorial statement and an updated name for the ultimate publication/exhibition. The artists who have already submitted to this project will be contacted first individually about the path forward before an external press release is distributed.

Thank you for your patience!

Vantage Art Projects

Lateral Learning Book Launch - Feb. 19/10

Vantage Art Projects launched our first exhibition-in-print publication last Friday night generously hosted by both The Instant Coffee Collective and Centre A in Vancouver, BC.

Amongst those in attendance were Lateral Learning curator Paul Butler, Lateral Learning artists Perry Rath and Julie Gendron, artist Evan Lee, Cultural Olympiad curator  & ECUAD lecturer Kate Armstrong, CASV Board member Janice MacIssac, and ECUAD Design Grad and Telus World of Science Staff Janice Gardner. Instant Coffee mates Jinhan Ko, Kelly Lycan, Jenifer Papararo and Khan Lee poured the drinks. Centre A Directors Hank Bull and Makiko Hara graciously welcomed Vantage Art Projects and The Instant Coffee Collective after Vancouver's "no fun" reputation held true and fire code regulations temporarily closed "The Light Bar". 

Gatekeepers Call For Submissions - Update

Our current exhibition-in-print project is undergoing some changes. Angela Grossmann has unfortunately decided to step away from the project as curator. We are in the process of first working with our submitting artists before making a public statement about the path forward with this project. Updates will be available on this site.

A Teaser...

In the works since October 2009, we are redesigning both our blog and our website to be at the same URL!

This blogspot address and our www.vantageartprojects.com address will remain active.

A better way to showcase our artists and buy their limited edition prints is a part of this redesign.

Stay tuned for our new look launching April 2010!

Vantage Art Projects launches 2 new art wikizines

Vantage Art Projects has started two "wikizines" on Zimbio called "New Contemporary Art" and "art+tek" (about new media and technology based art).

A wikizine is an online magazine that aggregates and re-purposes content often published first in other publications. The purpose of the wikizine is to extend the reach of the article/information through a secondary, community based distribution network.

Please submit either unique articles or articles and press releases published elsewhere about New Contemporary Art or Art and Technology to build the distribution of your news, exhibition announcements and reviews, and new art writing.

There is no charge for this service - as part of our mandate Vantage Art Projects seeks to create opportunities for artists and to bridge art lovers with exciting new talent.

New Wikizines:

New Contemporary Art

http://www.zimbio.com/New+Contemporary+Art

ar+tek

http://www.zimbio.com/Art+Technology

Go to Pitch Engine Social Media Release about new art wikizines>>

Instant Coffee - THE LIGHT BAR - Lateral Learning Book Launch Feb. 19th

21. INSTANT COFFEE | LIGHT BAR | opening & event schedule | FEB 12
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LIGHT BAR by Instant Coffee

The artist collective Instant Coffee presents Light Bar, a full-spectrum
light bar installation and venue for light therapy, light lectures, light
shows, light reading and light rock. Instant Coffee Light Bar is an
ongoing art project that investigates the potential and power of light. The
artists come to this idea through necessity. Living in a place such as
Vancouver, Canada, where the rain can seem endless, the negative effects of
the lack of sunlight on individual psyches and the large social milieu
feels at times paramount. The use of light as a therapy or as a remedy for
SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is commonly and affectively used by
individuals, but for Light Bar Instant Coffee puts it to the test in small
or large group situations.

As part of Bright Light a collaborative project that brings together
fourteen arts organizations from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Bright
Light is commissioned by the City of Vancouver through its Olympic and
Paralympic Public Art Program. www.bright-light.ca

Instant Coffee is a service oriented artist collective based in Toronto and
Vancouver. They began their light research in Bergen, Norway in
collaboration with Flaggfabrikken, opening the Light Bar for two nights of
events and therapy. They continued their research over a three-month
residency at Kuenstlerhaeuser, Worpswede, Germany then returned to
Vancouver to open the Light Bar Bus Shelter, as part of A Bright Future, a
four part public commission for 88 BLOCKS*Art on Main for which they
adapted the Main and West 20th bus shelter into a full spectrum light
therapy bar. In working with the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Instant
Coffee opened the Light Bar, a functioning bar and venue from January 30th
to May 24th, 2009. Instant Coffee's most consistent members are Cecilia
Berkovic, Jinhan Ko, Kelly Lycan, Jenifer Papararo, Kate Monro, and Khan Lee.

Where: Instant Coffee Light Bar: 33 West Cordova St.
When: Multiple events, beginning February 12 through March 20, 2010;
opening hours, Wednesday to Saturday, 7pm - 12 am, and for special events

Select Schedule of Events:
Friday, February 12: Opening night celebration with the premier performance
of CHRISTINE, a Vancouver synth pop band with Julian Paul Carnrite and
Kevin Ron Schmidt. Christine uses computers to make their music and likes
it when you dance. With guest djs Natalie Purschwitz and Jeremy Mendes,
performance at 11pm

Saturday, February 13: Slide Show: Aaron Carpenter, Christine D'Onofrio,
Owen Kidd, Shannon Oksanen, Alex Pensato, Philippe Pasquier, Judy Radul,
Sylvain Sailly and Sydney Vermont. Instant Coffee invites ten artists to
show slides of their work or as work; old school analogue or not; vacation
pics may be included. With guest djs Rodney Graham and Jeremy Shaw.

Thursday, February 18: Light Lecture: RAYMOND W. LAM, MD, Professor of
Psychiatry at UBC and Director of the Mood Disorders Centre at UBC
Hospital, lectures on light, its relationship to SAD and Non-SAD Conditions
www.UBCsad.ca, 8pm followed by an Instant Coffee light show.

Friday, February 19: Book Launch: Lateral Learning by Vantage Art Projects,
an exhibition-in-print project Vol.1 guest curated by Paul Butler with
essays by Dr. Jeanne Randolph and Mark Clintberg, 8pm

Saturday, February 20: Rooftop Special: hosted by LUCAS GRANITO, DANIEL
HELLMANN AND KELVIN BEAUDETTE. Inspired by the sunny daytime parties at WMC
in Miami, Sonar in Spain Picnik Electronique in Montreal and their events
last summer, Rooftop Special aims to recreate a place like summer in the
Light Bar. To complement the space they will be playing classic Chicago
house and lots of modern dance music.

Saturday, February 27: Karaoke and Authenticity: Seattle curator ERIC
FREDERICKSEN will host a night of karaoke interwoven with an illustrated
lecture. Malcolm McLaren recently wrote, "Today there are two words that
sum up the culture: 'authenticity' is one, and the other ... 'karaoke'!
With Vancouver's karaoke experts, Weekend Leisure. Lecture at 9pm

Monday, March 8: Light Compositions: DIDIER PETIT (cello), VIVIANE HOULE
(voice) and STEFAN SMULOVITZ (viola & laptop) come together for a rare
performance hosted by TOM CONE, 9pm

Friday, March 12: Woo Magazine launch.

Saturday, March 13: Van Bands: KICK EVRYTHING and CALL THE CITY play loud, 10pm

Wednesday, March 17: Slickerslacker is Fiona Bowie and Jim Peers (guitar,
vox, knobs and tubes, buttons, various utensils and sliders), 10pm

Thursday, March 18: Danish Artist Ditte Lyngkær Pedersen will host a
screening event based on her video works and give a short presentation on
the artists-run exhibition space rum46 in �rhus, Denmark, 8pm

Friday, March 19: CAM DALES of the ice cream social playing 50's and 60's hits.

House dj's: Julian Paul Carnrite, Peter Gazendam, Lazers Bomb, Mittens and
Gloves, Jeremy Mendes, Stephen Murray, Jenifer Papararo, and Natalie
Purshwitz. Guest bartenders: Vivian Bessette, Marianne Bos, Tom Cone, Owen
Kidd, Philippe Pasquier, Judy Radul, Kathleen Ritter, Tiny Josh Schmidt,
Stuart Sproule and more

See www.instantcoffee.org for a growing list of events, and for other
information contact us@instantcoffee.org

Vancouver Book Launch for "Lateral Learning" - Friday, Feb. 19/10

The Book Launch of "Lateral Learning" on Friday, Feb. 19th, 8:00 to 10:00 pm at "The Light Bar" (part of the Bright Lights Public Art festival). Hosted by The Instant Coffee Collective. Location: Blood Alley in Gastown, Vancouver BC.

Meet Paul Butler our artist curator and help us celebrate the launch of our first exhibition-in-print. If you are a published artist please R.S.V.P if you are joining us: info@vantageartprojects.com.

Artists in “Lateral Learning” featuring Paul Butler, Mark Clintberg and Dr. Jeanne Randolph with: Amarie Bergman, Lisa Birke, Melissa Brown, Lydia Burggraaf, John Campbell, Robert Caspary, Lucia Cipriano, Jennifer Delos Reyes, Rebecca Donald, Christopher Donnelly, Aganetha Dyck, Richard Dyck, Sarah Fuller, Julie Gendron, Lori Gordon, Sheila Heti, Robin Lambert, Marissa Largo, Henry Mah, Ashley Neese, Christian Nicolay, Jennifer O'Leary, Richard Palanuk, Mitzi Pederson, Perry Rath, Kerri Reid, Scott Rogers, Jesse Sherburne, Julia Sherman, Jonny Silver, Eric Steen, Derek Sullivan, Aislinn Thomas, Julie Thomson, Margaux Williamson, Sascha Yamashita, Weakhand , The Make It Collective (Gabe Baribeau, Ian Fitzgerald, Rachel Fleming, Aimee Burnett, Sean Walsh, Todd Guthrie, Pat Bodnar, Meghan Hunter, Nick Edwards, Emily Vesigny, Emily Rayner and Bailey Holmes), The 26 Collective (Melanie Rocan, Cyrus Smith, David Wityk, Fred Thomas, Shaun Morin, Ian August, Michael Topf), The Reverse Pedagogy Team (Venice 2009). All artist submissions were blind-juried based on an international open call.

More information about the publication, the published artists and writers here >>pitch engine link

SCREEN 2010 - Exhibition 10 - When the Night Comes

SCREEN 2010
Canadian art. Your screen.

Exhibition No. 10 — January 19, 2010
When the Night Comes
Curated by Nathalie de Blois

Featuring — Jocelyne Alloucherie (winner of the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts in 2000), Carlos and Jason Sanchez, Ed Pien, Myfanwy Macleod, Shary Boyle, Chih-Chien Wang, Angèle Verret and Sébastien Cliche

Curatorial Statement

After the sun sets and the inky darkness of night surrounds the landscape, shadows appear, first clear and sharp, then out of focus and shifting, to the fumbling confusion of our mind and eye. Night is a passage that allows us to peek behind the curtains of mundane appearance and draws us to a place of possibility; where the line between reality and fiction becomes blurred. As its title suggests, this exhibition evokes a twilight path into night, the appeal of the void and the path lost, but also reaches back to a time populated by dreams, visions, disquieting specters and fantastic creatures. Both the beauty and fears of the nocturnal imagination are conjured up in turn by the works presented in this exhibition.

Nathalie de Blois – Curator

Since 1997, Nathalie de Blois has curated several exhibitions that have travelled throughout Quebec and Europe. She is presently curator of contemporary art at the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, where she organised the exhibition Michel de Broin. Machinations in 2006; an overview exhibition on Quebec’s art scene called It Happened in your Neighbourhood in 2008 and in 2009 a group show Emporte-moi/Sweep Me off My Feet, which examines the turbulences of love through the works of over 30 international artists.

Artist Books/Books by Artists in the Cultural Olympiad

Books, Records
Curated by Dave Dyment

photo left: Michael Snow.

Connect with CODE Screen 2010 >>>

Perhaps because of influential publishers and distributors in the 70s (Nova Scotia College of Art & Design and Art Metropole, respectively) Canada has a rich history of producing art designed to infiltrate book and record stores.

Michael Snow’s The Last LP is a classic artist’s audio work, and his Cover to Cover is possibly the most renowned artist book ever printed - a rare case where a Canadian work defines the genre.

Snow’s works bookend this exhibition, which otherwise draws on artists who explore the structure, content and possibilities of books via published works, photographs, handcrafted facsimile and trompe l’oeil. The works examine our relationship to these objects and to each other, while questioning the authority of the codex.

The records selected here share a relationship to books. Davis’s charred vinyl refers to book burning and The Last LP is about the form of the vinyl record, as a printed package. It features extensive liner notes that both set up and eventually give away the trompe l'oeil.

Dave Dyment is a Toronto-based curator, artist and writer. From 2004 to 2008, he was director of programming at Mercer Union. Prior to that he was at Art Metropole for five years, where he curated numerous exhibitions. Other projects include Nuit Blanche 2008 and a forthcoming volume on Artists’ Multiples for YYZ Books. He is co-founder of Nothing Else Press, which has published projects by Jonathan Monk, David Shrigley, Paul Butler and others.