1-800-INF-ERNO
October 5th-6th 7PM-7AM (Nuit Blanche) and October 7-12, 2024
Nuit Blanche Toronto 2024 Independent Project
An interactive installation by Micki-Lee Smith & Zakriya Bashir-Hill, in collaboration with Diana Lawryshyn, Pratap Mathews, & Yun Young Lee. Also featuring paintings by Diana Lawryshyn.
toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/festivals-events/nuitblanche/
A phone call bridges the gap between personal experiences and the grim realities that exist on the front lines of the global environmental crisis. A devastating forest fire comes to life. Melancholic melody and wistful lyricism weave into an unsettling crackle, forging together the layers of an uncomfortable and alarming soundscape. Audiences are invited to listen in on both sides of a phone conversation and hear how two extremes, ignorance and unobstructed, inescapable awareness, emerge.
On one end, an individual expresses their excitement and intent to be together with a partner who, amid the crisis, cannot respond. Additional phones surround the seemingly “one-sided” conversation, shedding light on the perspectives between them. A timeless tune cascades through the room, depicting a lover’s plea for connection. This familiar trope is recontextualized, prompting audiences to consider the unseen emotional tolls that hide behind statistics and reports. Explore how distance informs our sense of urgency and apathy towards the environmental crisis. Are you susceptible to disconnection?
Special thanks to Camilie Shiu, Alex Dobson, Nuit Blanche TO, for helping bring this piece to life.
Supported by Toronto Arts Council with funding from the City of Toronto.
More info, and images here.
Off Site: 1-800-INFERNO: Reception Perception
A pop-up "teaser" for Nuit Blanche 2024 and 1-800-INF-ERNO, Until October 12
By Micki-Lee Smith + Pratap Mathews
In collaboration with Zakriya Bashir-Hill, Diana Lawryshyn, & Camille Shiu
Connect with your admirer!
1.Pick up the phone.
2. Listen carefully to the available options.
3. Select the option that best represents your current situation, sentiment, or inquiry.
Phones can be found at Craft Ontario and Dish Gallery in the Distillery District, 401 Richmond, U of T Music Library, and Akin Collective on Queen E.
Open Studio Day Collab with Akin Collective
Saturday October 12, 12-5 pm
On October 12th, from 12-5pm, Akin Queen East (429 Queen Street East) will open its doors to the public to showcase all of the incredible artists and creators practicing inside.
Opened in May 2024, Akin Queen East is one of the newest and most exciting studios due to the scale of the space and the variety of the 60 artists’ mediums. Participating artists will display and sell their work and Akin staff and volunteers will be present to answer any questions and give tours of the space.
This event will be in collaboration with our neighbours just down the street at The Lost and Found Project Space at 420 Queen Street East. After you’ve visited Akin Queen East’s Open Studio, be sure to head over to The Lost and Found to check out the final day of the Nuit Blanche Independent Project, 1-800-INF-ERNO, by artists Micki-Lee Smith & Zakriya Bashir-Hill in collaboration with Diana Lawryshyn, Pratap Mathews, & Yun Young Lee. We encourage you to visit our studio spaces and the gallery to enjoy the full experience. We hope to see you there.
More info, and images at Akin Collective.
Samhain in Corktown Mask Workshop!
October 19, 2024, 1-4pm
With Danielle Reygel and the CRBA, Corktown.ca
Learn to make delightfully frightful paper mache masks and help celebrate Halloween...
or...Samhain in Corktown
More info here: TLAF Workshops and Corktown.ca
