Micropolis 2.0 at SNAP GALLERY - Edmonton

Here are some SNAP shots of the exhibition in Edmonton.

Micropolis 2.0 - Allison Moore and Arthur Desmarteaux
May 24 - July 6 2012 [opening Reception May 24, 2012]
The installation changes for each new space. This time there is a Montreal Metro car.

Big Thanks to Sean Caufield, Kelsey Stephenson, Karolina Kowalski, Alexandrea Bowes and all the staff at SNAP.

ART CENSORSHIP

Property Inequity Security, Arthur Desmarteaux and Allison Moore 2011
[Digital print 6'x4']
I am currently exhibiting work with Arthur Desmarteaux in a group show "Supercalifragilisticexpiadocious" at the Musée d'art contemporain des laurentides, with Marjolaine BOUDUA, Bruno GAREAU, Mathieu LATULIPPE, Chloé LEFEBVRE et Martin LORD. Although I was initially enthusiastic to be invited for my first exhibition in a Contemporary Art Museum, my enthusiasm deflated a week after the opening when curator, Nathalie Dussault asked Arthur and I [on behalf of the museum] to REMOVE one of our works. The work, Property Inequity Security is a large format digital print illustrating a war in the desert and featuring mostly images found from the internet. the piece was apparently censored for its sexual content [and not the prominent violent scenes]. I must admit I was surprised when Christelle Renoux, responsible for the museums communications and education programming wanted to use this particular work for a mediation project with kids [did she look closely enough?]. And I can understand careful editing decisions on the curators behalf before a show is mounted, but to be asked to remove an artwork from exhibition after the opening is frankly rude. Especially since this artwork in particular was celebrated and well-received at the opening by Museum staff, press people and guests to the museum. I am left severely deceived by the art world and freedom of expression. The show is up until June 11.

[cover image: Arthur Desmarteaux]

We got "freshly pressed"

Here is an article on my current exhibition with Arthur Desmarteaux at SNAP GALLERY in Edmonton, re-blogged from Canadian Art Junkie. This blog post was apparently "freshly pressed", which is pretty cool.

Micropolis 2.0: ‘A Work of Wonder’

Micropolis 2.0 is a multimedia universe made of silkscreen cutouts and digital prints that explores urban life and the relationships between people and large cities. This work of wonder, as Québécois artists Allison Moore and Arthur Desmarteaux call it, is on at SNAP Gallery in Edmonton through early July.

It’s an evolving installation of collaged screen and digital prints, assembled to evoke a busy commercial street with pedestrians, creatures and vehicles, inspired by the cityscapes of Québec City, Montréal and Toronto.

The diorama also includes sections of woodcuts and LCD video screens in the “building windows” showing animated loops and an accompanying soundtrack.

The artists say the project “is intended to convey a sense of wonder, awe and contemplation. Looking though the microscope, viewers are drawn in a god-like perspective, entering a strange theatrical dimension.”

Allison Moore is a multidisciplinary artist originally from Vancouver Island, now located in Montréal. She has produced projects in Ecuador, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and Europe. Her website is here.

Arthur Desmarteaux obtained a BFA in media & visual arts from University of Québec in Montréal. He is an active member of Graff Studios in Montreal, ARPRIM [Association for the promotion of Printed Arts in Québec] and the Puppet Association of Québec. His website is here.

For a PDF brochure from the exhibition at Open Studio, Toronto earlier this year, click here.

Images from Looper.ca

Cafe Concrete 12

Here is the poster I designed for Cafe Concrete 12 [a puppet cabaret event held in Montreal]

Special help from Arthur Desmarteaux in coloring and added drawing detail.

This last edition of Cafe Concrete was held at Casa de Popolo in Montreal, May 7, 2012.

Egotrip Productions showed a new paper puppet show "Sliding South" created at IMAGO Print Studio in Moncton, NB. Video coming soon, to a youtube near you....

Le temps du rêve - Nuit Blanche [Montreal 2012]

Le temps du rêve // The 6 Trials of Picaroo

Live shadow performance with animated video projections and black light.

Presented at APRIM in the Belgo Building for Nuit Blanche - Montreal 2012.

35 audience members are enclosed by hand-printed fabric walls. The set was created at Megalo Print Studios in Australia.

Allison Moore & Arthur Desmarteaux [Egotrip Productions] 2012.

[see images of the set: MEGALO]

Special thanks to Jesse Orr for her awesome help in puppet manipulation.

Nuit Blanche - Montreal - Le temps du rêve

images: Allison Moore 2012

Here are a few photos from Le temps du rêve. Performed at ARPRIM in the Belgo building for Nuit Blanche - Montreal, 2012.

Dans le cadre de Nuit blanche à Montréal, ARPRIM invite les noctambules de tous âges à pénétrer dans une forêt enchantée habitée de créatures mystérieuses. Alliant le théâtre d’ombres et de marionnettes, Arthur Desmarteaux et Allison Moore (Egotrip Production) présentent Le temps du rêve, un spectacle immersif et surréaliste inspiré du paysage australien.

Trois représentations sont prévues à 20h, 22h et minuit. Il sera aussi possible de visiter la scène avant et après les représentations. Les places sont limitées : premiers arrivés, premiers servis. Durée : 45 minutes

Project developed in residence at Megalo Print Studios, Canberra Australia [October-December 2011]

Urban Terrarium

Video Documentation of a new video installation created at Oboro New Media Labs in Montreal. Urban Terrarium is a video assemblage combining hand-drawn animation, photo collage and live-action video to create a panoramic videoscape of a fantastical metropolis. Based on cities I have visited and translated through my imagination, it is neither a past, present or future space but a hybrid world mashed up by mass media and globalization. I combine hand-drawn illustrations with cut-out textures from photo-imagery. These elements are composited together in After Effects to create a 3 screen wide video projection as one seamless animation. Habitants are lost in the details of the metropolitan resembling ants in their terrarium farm.

Urban Terrarium // 3 screen Video Installation from Allison Moore on Vimeo.

Sound: Arthur Desmarteaux

This project was funded by the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Quebec [CALQ], and developed in residency at Oboro New Media Labs through the New Media Grant for Young Artists, in partnership with La Caisse populaire Desjardins du Mont-Royal. The final installation of Urban Terrarium was screened for the public as part of the Les journées de la culture event in Montreal on October 1, 2011.

Micropolis 2.0 - Open Studio Toronto

Micropolis 2.0 - Allison Moore & Arthur Desmarteaux.

Here is a little video documentation of an installation at Open Studio in Toronto. The exhibition is up from January 12 - February 18, 2012. Micropolis is an ever-expanding installation comprised of collaged screen and digital prints, assembled so they evoke a busy modern commercial street with pedestrians, creatures and vehicles passing by. The installation has an anthropological character inspired by the cityscapes of Québec City, Montréal and Toronto. A modular diorama of cardboard figures and shapes placed at different levels on wooden shelves, covering the perimeter of the gallery walls.
Printed by Allison Moore and Arthur Desmarteaux at Graff Print Studios [montreal], Open Studio [Toronto], and Engramme [Quebec City].

Australia - been there done that

image: Egotrip Productions 2011

hey hey!

it's been ages since I posted updates. I went to Canberra, Australia for a residency at Megalo Print Studios with Arthur Desmarteaux. We were there for 6 weeks in November/December making a new puppet show. Check out this LINK for updates!

image: "The 6 Trials of Picaroo" presented at the Canberra Scout Hall, 2011

Big thanks to Megalo Print Studio for an amazing experience.