Penpals

Following last spring’s Résidences à distance, the CCOV is organising a second edition, called Relations épistolaires – Penpals. This paid project is intended to develop a co-mentorship relationship between an artist and another individual between February and August 2021. 6 groups have been chosen following a call for proposals in Winter 2021.

It is a proposal for a structured correspondence to exchange guidance, and interchange roles of knower and not-knower. This could take many forms (letters, audio, video). Penpal exchanges could be established between generations, sister communities, very different communities, or within one specific community.

An exit interview will be organised at the end of the 6-month project period to share the artists’ experience with the public.

WATCH THE EXIT INTERVIEW

“The Tiöhtià:ke/Montrealbased artists Lara Kramer and Alex Côté met for the first time in Fort-de-France, Martinique, during the biennal F.I.A.P. Festival International of Performance Art, where they presented their respective performances. For two weeks, Kramer and Côté witnessed their mutual pieces, explored their performative process and developed a new friendship that led to the strong intention of eventually collaborating together once back in Tiöhtià:ke/Montreal. The performer + choreographer of mixed Oji-cree + settler heritage and the LGBTQ+ multidisciplinary artist share a mutual desire for creation, experimentation and exchange of interdisciplinary strength and knowledge.”

WATCH THE EXIT INTERVIEW

“We are two pairs of partners who share many parallels in life and in dance. Savage & Samuelle are based in Vancouver while Julien & Taylor are based in Montreal. Being heavily inspired by the other pair’s innovation and dedication to the craft, Penpals provides an opportunity for us to build on the advantages of sharing insight and training together from afar, something we had not considered seriously since our paths have crossed. We hope to use this opportunity to investigate the nuances between the others’ interpretation of Hustle and build a deeper appreciation for each other’s style and approach. Our work through this correspondence will extend beyond the timeline of the project as we intend to share our progress/process publicly to continue to support and inspire the greater worldwide Hustle community.”

WATCH THE EXIT INTERVIEW

“Julia and Jacquie met in Rimouski, being part of Cotillon, in which they performed a  love scene-slash-semi-striptease, inspired by martyrs and saints on the song Party Girl and there their friendship and artistic partnership began.

We had a click right away and shared lots of laughs.

According to Julia, Jacquie’s presence made her want to wander the streets and steal lilacs out of people’s gardens to put them on her doorstep in the night.

For Jacquie, Julia is the embodiment of Anita Berber’s independent spirit, wild poetry and austrucktanz and she is a fan of Julia’s work.

After hitting it off in Rimouski the two have worked together in Montreal and Leipzig, also crossing paths in Berlin sometimes.

Both are looking forward to reconnecting by being pen pals and fingers crossed that their path’s meet in either Berlin or Montreal or so contemporary, on Zoom, in letters, or a mixture of all the possibilities!”

EXIT INTERVIEW SOON

Everything is connected:

Nöel talks about a new hand-poked tattoo on her skin which has a star shape. The star has its eyes closed, it smilies calmly while moving through space, leaving behind a trace in the form of a rainbow. Lester speaks about other kind of stars: the zodiac; the influence of the universe on us, who we are.

Noël is Sagittarius, Lester is Aquarius.

They find their opposition is key for something to be learned.

A tarot card is pulled […]

It’s the number 13 of the major arcana (the card with no name). ’Drastic revolution’.

Nöel and Lester wonder what revolution means to them and how it can be provided.

While Nöel and Lester wonder how to ask questions without feeling stupid, a question arises:

“Am I the star or is the star me?”

So, Nöel and Lester went on a deep journey towards the center of the heart. Out of a golden treasure chest they pulled a luminiscent paper that said: “Of course!”

EXIT INTERVIEW SOON

In a spirit of care for oneself, for others and for our environment, non-dits explores intimate subjects drawn from our lives as women in relation to the world of art. It proposes to bring to light the difficulties inherent in our journeys in a sensitive, feminist and critical horizon. At the confluence of self-narrative, essay and criticism, it will give voice to issues that we envision shared by others. This project also aims to be part of a larger and collective approach.

 “The more time passes, the more I want to defuse it with anti-projects that firmly anchor us in the experience of life, of relationships, of others. – Katya

“My work is not done to the detriment of myself or others, and it is against art that is to the detriment of self and others.”- Véronique

EXIT INTERVIEW SOON

Taraka and Sarah met at the Chanorth Residency in the wilds of the Hudson Valley in September 2020, where they immediately found common themes in their work. While Taraka comes from a primarily music background and Sarah a performance background, they found in each other naturally rebellious spirits, intellectual curiosity, academic fatigue and a big dose of rock n roll, as well as a penchant for sequins and eye make-up. They are currently researching ideas about how to build iconic yet humorous personae, working on a shared co-inspirational exchange that aims to channel a more rebel spirit and archetypal images of both the wild woman and the adolescent crush. They might call this process “rock n roll strategies for self-realization” or “slaying the poser-shaman / poser-rock star and moshing with the inner teenager.”

Image credit: Geneviève Darling