Taking ephemeral art to the streets

Nobody like a self-promoter, so it feels awfully gauche to be writing about my own articles twice in a single day. Don’t judge me too harshly!

In the Urban Life section of today’s Gazette you’ll find an article about a new wave of ephemeral public art projects, many organized by Dare-Dare, an artists’ centre based in Mile End. Among those that I write about are Franck Bragigand’s painted manhole covers and Karen Spencer’s Dream Listener project. Here’s an excerpt:

It glowed amid its sombre surroundings, a giant Lego-brick lantern underneath the Van Horne Viaduct. For three weeks this fall, Chih-Chien Wang’s installation The Nest was hosted by the artist-run centre Dare-Dare in a space at the corner of St. Laurent Blvd. and Van Horne Ave. that has been dubbed The Park With No Name.

Wang assembled his nest using cardboard boxes, painted white on one side and stacked in the shape of a cube. Inside, amid the glare of white fluorescent lights, visitors could hear and feel the sounds of the viaduct overhead.

“(It is) a way to connect people and the city through an organic experience. This is a place where people and city come together,” proclaimed Dare-Dare’s written on-site introduction to the installation.

Ultimately, though, the way people interacted with his art was a surprise to Wang.

“Kids actually came here to smoke. They were very careful and didn’t throw their cigarettes away inside,” said Wang one afternoon as he swept the ground outside the nest. “People also like to drink inside at night. The sound wasn’t too bad.”

One overnight visitor even left behind a drink, a paper bag and, bizarrely, two perfectly assembled hairballs.

Wang’s installation is part of a new wave of public art that reflects – and draws inspiration from – the city’s urban landscape. It is ephemeral, designed to last only temporarily, and it draws heavily from the aesthetic and philosophy of street art.

You can read more in today’s Gazette’s or on Urbanphoto. Fans of Dare-Dare should also check out their website, which includes information about all of their projects, as well as the site for Paysages Éphémères.