Bridget A. Moser is Probably Better Than Bonham

"Did I cut off a piece of my own hair and tape it to my face to make my handlebar moustache? Yes I did."

The video pits the artist against the spirit of legendary Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham as she attempts to prove that she is the superior musician. The piece fits uncomfortably in the tradition of early Dadaism, minus the conscious attack on the institution. When asked about her motives, the cryptic Moser offers: "I wanted a platform to showcase my preternatural talent. That is all."

Moser's piece crystallizes the collision between art and rock'n'roll evident throughout this year's Art Matters festival. Indeed, something palpable is happening amongst a younger crop of artists at Concordia. The pretenses of high modernism so prevalent in art school are being shed in favour of what curator Shannon Linde calls a "pop art revival." Festival community outreach co-ordinator Chantal Musgrove prefers the term "rock'n'roll art."

"It's no surprise really - a lot of people moved here as much for the music scene as they did for the school," says Moser.

Organizers Corina Kennedy and Emily Shanahan have taken the festival out of the gallery cube and into the rock venue, with an emphasis on notching up the event aspect of each vernissage. In Kennedy's words: "Art students make up a good portion of the indie-rock scene. So we took a look at what venues allowed the opportunity for visual art and performance to mingle that would best showcase these students' work."

Expect collaborations, one-offs and straight-up performances by hipster darlings like Beaver, Think About Life, The Sunday Sinners and The Adam Brown. Venues for the festival include notable indie-rock haunts Sala Rossa, Casa del Popolo, the Green Room and Café Esperanza.

The festival opens March 3 at Le Bain Mathieu, with performances by The World Provider, Dandiwind, Diamond Dogs, and Ghetto Pony, and the opening of the exhibition Beyond Eve. Free admission.

Art Matters
March 3-17
http://artmatters.concordia.ca
 
 

		Write your comment on this article!

Art Matters a lot!     First up, a big thanks to Ali Rahman for giving Art Matters the kind of publicity it deserves. For those who still don't know what Art Matters is, the festival is the entirely student run/student exhibited Fine Arts festival put on by the students of Concordia University. Now in its sixth year (yep, sixth, so where have you all been??), Art Matters has been growing in popularity and profile in leaps and bounds. Last year the festival was voted top Visual Art exhibit (up from 5th) in the Mirror's "Best of Montreal" issue, as well as being in the top ten for best festival. With the move into the indie rock scope of things, Kennedy and Shanahan are definitely making a great move for the direction of the festival. The opening party at Bain Mathieu with performances by The World Provider, Dandiwind, Diamond Dogs, Ghetto Pony, and Carlo Cossette of Bully records, is sheer proof of the attention Art Matters has been getting. For those that missed that night, you missed out on a great night, which was coupled with the Beyond Eve exhibition in the lower portion of the venue. Being involved with the festival myself over the last four years, has been one of the best experiences being at Concordia. Sure it has its ups and downs, but the simple mandate of the festival to give students that 'real-world, art-world' experience is something you don't get anywhere else. Students are given the opportunity to curate and expose their work throughout Montreal, and more times than not, being able to expose in venues that often cater to more established artists. Corina Kennedy and Emily Shanahan have done an amazing job this year in pulling this all together, and everyone should do their part in showing their appreciation by getting out to see some of the shows, and see, quite possibly, some of the future movers and shakers of the Canadian art scene. The festival runs until the 17th, with some shows trailing on later, so get out there! You won't be disappointed. (see website)
Trevor Kiernander		March 5th, 2006

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