President's Diary — April 2009
Kamouraska,
July 2008
I joined Studio XX’s Board of Directors in October 2006. It was 10
years old; an excellent moment to reflect, assess and project into the
future; who were our members? What communities were we part of? Was our
existence more virtual than real? The politics of feminism, women and
their relationship with technology, art and the internet: how has the
landscape shifted in a decade and where do we place ourselves?
The process was called Strategic
Planning,
a task that
required time, commitment and funding in order to do it right. In the
spring of 2008, we received a grant from the Flying Squad program at
the Canada Council which set us in motion. We hired Martine Sauvageau,
a communications consultant, we then performed the necessary
organizational diagnositics and prepared for a weekend retreat; the
Board, Director General Paulina Abarca-Cantin, and Martine in beautiful
Kamouraska.
Martine guided us using a method called ‘Open Space’ where we chose
topics and roamed between various discussion groups, alternatively
participating and facilitating. We moved from broad theoretical strokes
to the minutia of administrating; art, activism, human resources and
financing, through to partnerships, technological competance, workshops
and the web.
It was an experience marked by dynamic discussions and a
renewed
commitment to an organization that remains relevant and strong in its
mandate as a bilingual feminist digital art centre for technological
exploration, creation and critique.
We decided on priorities and action plans for the next few years and we
invite our members to have a look at
Studio
XX’s Strategic Plan.
Deborah VanSlet, President, Board of Directors
Studio XX and Matricules at Histories and Archives Colloquium [May 2]
Studio
XX will present two ArtTalks focusing on the topic of « Open
Source and The Matricules Online Archive : A Major Creation by
a Feminist Artist-run Centre » in the context of The Histories and Archives, Arts
and Hypermediatic Literature International Colloquium.
The .dpi editorial team will also present Studio XX’s .dpi electronic
journal.
Saturday, May 2,
2009, 10h30 AM
At Agora Hydro-Québec du Coeur des Sciences,
175 Président-Kennedy Avenue
> Details,
directions and complete programme
Stéphanie Lagueux, Webmistress at Studio XX since 2002 and Director of the digitizing phase of the Matricules Online Archive, will reflect on the results and the experience of undertaking a project of this magnitude within an artist-run centre. She will introduce the mechanics and content of this resolutely Web 2.0 tool, launched just over a year ago. Hovering between dream and reality, this important tool does not replace the human element, which must select, prepare and organize the content placed on line. As a feminist artist-run centre, the actualization of this archive is central to Studio XX’s existence.
Bérengère Marin
Dubuard, Director of Production at Studio XX, will put
into historical and theorectical context Open Source multimedia tools
used in artistic and media art production. She will present artworks
created at Studio with these technologies, notably through the
commissioned artwork workshops Autonomy and
Activism and Digital Ludology,
both of which are documented on Matricules.
The
Histories and Archives, Arts and Hypermediatic Literature International
Colloquium will be presented from April 30th to May 2nd at
The Agora Hydro-Québec du Coeur des Sciences, 175 Président-Kennedy
Avenue.
Inaugurated in 2005, the NT2 Laboraratory seeks to promote the study, reading, creation and archiving of digital artworks. To achieve this mandate, the Lab team has been at work on an Arts and Media Arts Literature Repertory. It was during the creation of this tool, that a reflection on contemporary issues relating to archiving first surfaced.
This Colloquium will
be coupled with the Biennale
de Montréal 2009’s
Colloquium, whose theme is Open Culture, to be held on May 2 -3, 2009.
Martine H. Crispo: Artist in Residence at Studio XX
The
Audio Frenzy of Zoé T. is sound artist Martine H. Crispo's
brand new project. Martine is starting a two-month residency at Studio
XX. She will be working on the production of a zootrope prototype.
The Audio Frenzy of Zoé
T. is en element of an installation which in its finished
state will include six sound ‘generators’ developed from a
graphic/luminosity process supported by the optic sound principle of
the first cinematographic films of the 1920s.
A film (drawing) is inserted inside each of the six motor-activated
generator-cylinders. Behind each drawing is placed a photoelectric cell
which captures the light pulsations through the lines of the drawing
and transforms them into light and sound signals. The light pulsation
is transformed into an audio sequence emitted in a loop from a speaker.
Each generator contains its own distinct imagery and the juxtaposition
of six different sound loops create unpredictable rhythms and moods. A
more complex audio treatment consisting of various digital effects
(granular synthesis, delays etc) will be elaborated using software such
as MAX/MSP or Pure Data (to be determined). This installation will use
Arduino microcontrollers to activate the cylinders.
Martine H. Crispo (Montréal)
For
nearly 25 years, Martine H. Crispo has worked as a sound artist,
improviser and musician, presenting live radiophonic performances,
creating sound installations and playing the ukulele. She
participated in the University of Montreal’s Balinese Gamelan Ensemble
(90-96) and was a member of the Orchestre Velo (92-98). Since
1986, she has hosted a live music show on local Montreal stations CIBL,
CINQ and currently, CKUT, where her radiophonic pieces can be heard
biweekly on her show Chaud pour le Mont-Stone. These days,
she
can be found tinkering in her studio and experimenting with new modes
of generating sound by modifying the circuits of vintage electronic
educational toys. Most recently, she has begun fabricating
electronic circuits that create music by triggering motors,
electro-magnets, solenoids and other objects in motion.
Her sound performances and installations have been presented at
galleries and festivals in Canada, the United States, and in Europe,
including the International Performance Festival Odense, Denmark; the
Avignon Festival in France; and The Bent Festival in New
York. Locally, she has performed at Mutek, Suoni Per Il
Popolo, the Galerie B0312 and most recently, the MoisMulti MM10 in
Quebec City. She just returned from a residency at The Center
for Contemporary Art in Glasgow with support from The Conseil des arts
et des lettres du Québec.
* Please note that the submission period for Studio XX's 2009-2010
artist residencies is now closed. The 2009-2010 residents will be soon
known/announced.
International Women’s Day 2009
Our March 8 screening of Alexis Krasilovsky’s documentary Les directrices de la photographie à travers le monde, followed by a panel discussion featuring Kat Baulu, Zoe Dirse and Mariellle Nitoslaswka was a resounding success providing a vital meeting point for generations. Directors and cinematographers Donna Read, Carrie Haber, Susan Trow, Karen Vanderborght , Dorothy Hénaut, Caroline Martel and Marlene Millar were but a few of the talented guests in attendance. Hosted by Paulina Abarca-Cantin and Michelle Van Beusekom, the event harked back to rich Studio XX and NFB collaborations in the past.
Left to right : Susan Trow, Zoe
Dirse, Michelle Van Beusekom.
Bottom : Paulina Abarca-Cantin, Marielle Nitoslawska.
Photo: Stéphanie Lagueux.
During her presentation, cinematographer Zoe Dirse highlighted the importance of joining and becoming familiar with The Canadian Society of Cinematographers (CSC), the national counterpart to Québec-based AQTIS.
During Zoe’s visit to the Festival international de films
de femmes de Créteil in 2000, she interviewed
France’s top cinematographers whom the festival was honouring for their
work in French film. These excellent interviews entitled Women on Camera and
written for the CSC, are here for you as promised:
Agnès
Godard
Nourith
Aviv
Caroline
Champetier
Photo : LES CHEFS OPÉRATRICES: (back row, from left) Dominique le Rigoleur, Claire Childeric, Tessa Racine; (front row, from left) Caroline Champetier, Nurit Aviv, and Agnès Godard. Photo: Brigitte Pougeoise
XX Files Radio Call Out
Lev Manovich in his book The Language of New Media, defines radio as
the
ultimate new media, constantly renewed by its programmers. Here is your
great chance to contribute to the programming and production of The XX Files,
THE Radio show about women and technology on Montreal’s community
stellar radio CKUT 90.3 FM www.ckut.ca
Contact us at xxfiles@ckut.ca or leave a message for Bérengère at Studio XX : 514 845 0289
+
CKUT Radio Camp
CKUT has paired up with the McGill Conservatory Day Camp to offer our first ever Radio Camp. Over a week long session campers (ages 10-13 and 14-17) will write, produce and act in a radio play, will conduct interviews and create short documentaries, learn to DJ and at the end of the week will produce and host a live radio show on CKUT! Gain hands-on skills in a creative and fun setting. All sessions will be conducted in French and English.
More details on CKUT Website
The Lovelace Award
This past week, Studio XX was pleased to remit The Annual Ada
Lovelace Award to Alanna
Lynch, a student at Concordia University's fibres studies
section. This award
bestows upon Alanna Lynch a one-year membership and aworkshop at Studio
XX, in recognition of her work in the Fibres area, Department of Studio
Art, Concordia University.
The Lovelace Award was created in honour of Ada Augusta Byron, Countess
of Lovelace (1815 –1852), analyst, metaphysician, mathematician,
and founder of scientific computing.
Air Canada’s enRoute Film Festival
Air Canada’s enRoute Film Festival is back for a third year
featuring Canada’s freshest new film talent. The Festival will showcase
short films from emerging Canadian filmmakers on Air Canada flights and
honour the best of the fest at an Awards Gala in Toronto at the end of
the year.
Visit their website for detailed information, including awards and
prizes and jury announcements.
Deadline for entries is May
31, 2009.
To register, please visit: http://www.enroutefilm.com/en/
Become an XX member !
Membership fees are:
Regular Membership $40,00
Community Membership* $60,00
Supporting Member $100,00 or more
* Reserved for non-profit organizations.
All community memberships
include 3 regular registrations.
** Includes GST + TVQ
Your membership will allow Studio XX to pursue pertinent and innovative projects and respond more adequately to the needs of people such as yourself. Another good reason to become a member is the fact that members enjoy privileges such as:
- Small workshops in a friendly and supportive environment
- Technical assistance
- Customized courses
- Open access to the computer lab
- Private and personalized workspace on our local server
- Free or reduced admission to all Femmes Br@nchées Salons, mini conferences and the HTMlles Festival
- Newsletter informing you of all of our other activities and preferred information regarding equipment sales.
- Right to vote at our General Assembly
To become a member of Studio XX : Download (PDF file), print and fill out the registration form and send it along with your cheque made to the order of Studio XX. You will receive a membership card and become a part of a great community.
