The city’s favourite art party FUSE will come back to transform the again on Friday, April 15, 2016, turning the Gallery into a space for live happenings and unexpected encounters. Guest-curated by Joyce Rosario (Associate Curator, PuSh International Performing Arts Festival), this edition of FUSE is in conjunction with the Gallery’s current exhibition MashUp: The Birth of Modern Culture, taking a look at “mashup” as expressed by the body, through movement, dance and live performance. Enjoy dance by Justine A. Chambers, Natalie Tin Yin Gan, Project Soul and RARUFU, experience immersive installations by Milton Lim and Remy Siu, check out the dance and music mashup lounge by Kareem Abdul Jabaastard and Deanna Peters/Mutable Subject, catch a feature-length dance music video by Jacob Krupnick with music by Girl Talk – the evening’s dynamic program will bring your art-viewing experience to another level.
Highlights of the evening:
Back it Up by Justine A. Chambers – In this performance, contemporary dance artist Justine A. Chambers brings the back-up dancer to the forefront by prioritizing individuality using a step, a touch and a snap as a shared movement. Every movement is given equal rhythmic value, and over time, the distinctive movement of each dancer engulfs the initial choreography.
Chinese Vaginies by Natalie Gan (Hong Kong Exile) – Described as “soft and fluffy”, this campy and playful dance performance aims to address the interconnected issues of food, consumption, exotification and violence on the female body.
Dancers from Project Soul will roam the Gallery space and create ciphers in various locations, these dancers bring energetic pop-up hip-hop dance up and close to the audience.
SQUIN by RARUFU– Ralph Escamillan (aka RARUFU) is no stranger to FUSE, having performed with House of Ladouche, Out Innerspace and Company 605. In this collaboration with sound designer Stefan Seslija, RARUFU serves up what it means to be grande, iconic and alluring with sequins, sound and the body.
okay.odd by Milton Lim (Hong Kong Exile) – Based on the tenets of concentration, mindfulness and visualization, okay.odd is a multimedia meditation session that guides participants through a stream of consciousness. Part spiritual retreat and part commentary on our image-inundated affect-obsessed society, this performance/installation invites you to encounter the version of you that you feel, but do not know.
New eyes – study #2 by Remy Siu (Hong Kong Exile) – An audio-visual performance and a generative light sculpture, this piece seeks to subvert the standard relationship between player and instrument by creating consequence and complication for every action.
Girl Walk // All Day (2011) by Jacob Krupnick – This feature-length dance music video, set to tracks of an entire Girl Talk album, is a tale of urban exploration, following three dancers across New York City as they turn the city’s sidewalks, parks and architecture into an evolving stage. Expanding the boundaries of the single-track music video, this project is an epic musical film about self-discovery and love, about finding community and vitality in shared public space.
Throughout the evening on the Gallery’s 4th floor pavilion, FUSE-goers can relax and get their groove on to a mashup-inspired playlist ranging from Missy Elliott to Joy Division’s Ian Curtis, designed by Kareem Abdul Jabaastard, with dance by Deanna Peters/Mutable Subject and guests.
FUSE-goers can also see MashUp: The Birth of Modern Culture, the Gallery’s largest exhibition to date, featuring 371 artworks by 156 artists from around the world.
Tickets: $24 at the door | Free for Gallery Members
Website: http://vanartgallery.bc.ca/events_and_programs/fuse.html
