Celebrity gawking, fear mongering, and other distractions, oh my! Is spectacle a harmless escape from reality, or something more?

Rulers throughout history have gone to great lengths to communicate and maintain their status. Whether that ruler was a dictator, royalty, religious figure, or democratically elected government, displays of power to validate and reinforce control over the masses declared who to admire, what to believe, and how to behave. Preying on core instincts to create situations that appeared effortlessly natural and self-evident, these displays of power featured elements capable of seducing people into agreement, distracting them from unpleasant truths, and/or scaring them out of rebellion.

Today’s spectacle takes many forms, from big budget events and entertainment to ever-present news media and advertising. It displays lifestyles we should envy and tells us how to succeed. It keeps us busy with news about celebrities and sports scores so we dismiss as boring anything that actually affects our lives. It sensationalizes violence while showing us what might happen if we rock the boat. It is power represented through repetitive sights and sounds, stereotypes and cliches, and other social signals about wealth, fame, and technology, and it all serves to influence general opinion and behaviour to support a consumer society and those who profit from it the most.

Taking cues from blockbuster exhibitions past and present to explore the complex nature of contemporary spectacle, A Total Spectacle is a mini spectacle about spectacle created by Winnipeg-based independent curator, Milena Placentile, in collaboration with local, national, and international artists including: Dayna Danger, Glen Johnson, Joe Johnson, Istvan Kantor, Praba Pilar, Scott Sørli, and Paul Wiersbinski.  The exhibition will be accompanied by texts written by Placentile and Martin Zeilinger.

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The exhibition launched at Atomic Centre (167 Logan Avenue, Winnipeg) on May 17  with an opening ceremony performed by Istvan Kantor with the participation of Ian Mozden and Dita Vendetta.

Regular open hours from May 18 – June 9 are as follows:

• Wednesday to Friday: 3:00 – 7:00 p.m.
• Saturday and Sunday: 12:00 – 4:00 p.m.
• Monday and Tuesday: Closed

There are two more events scheduled to take place in relation to the exhibition:

• Church of the Nano Bio Info Cogno with Reverend Praba Pilar at 167 Logan Avenue: Saturday, May 25, 2103.
  Doors at 8:00 p.m. ; service at 8:30 p.m. No late entry.
• “About Spectacle”, the first lecture in the new series delivered by Glen Johnson called “How to Think”  at 167 Logan Avenue: Saturday, June 1, 2013 at 4:00 p.m.

Admission to the exhibition and all related events is free of charge. Please stay tuned for details!

******************

This exhibition has been made possible with thanks to generous financial support from the Canada Council for the Arts through a program formerly known as “Independent Critics and Curators in the Visual Arts Program”, which provided opportunities for creative intellectual research and production initiated by curators working beyond conventional institutional frameworks.

The curator and artists would also like to acknowledge the generous in-kind and promotional support of Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art, Martha Street Studios / Manitoba Printmakers Association, Central Canadian Centre for Performance, RAW: Gallery of Architecture and Design, Edge Village and Gallery, and Akimbo.ca =-)

Graphic design by Colourblind Graphic Design.

A Total Spectacle, in partnership with Central Canadian Centre for Performance, is pleased to present “About Spectacle”, the first lecture in a new series by Glen Johnson titled, “How to Think”.

Saturday, June 1, 2013 – 4:00 p.m.
Atomic Centre (167 Logan Avenue)
Admission is Free

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Rulers throughout history have gone to great lengths to communicate and maintain their status. Whether that ruler was a dictator, royalty, religious figure, or democratically elected government, displays of power to validate and reinforce control over the masses declared who to admire, what to believe, and how to behave. Preying on core instincts to create situations that appeared effortlessly natural and self-evident, these displays of power featured elements capable of seducing people into agreement, distracting them from unpleasant truths, and/or scaring them out of rebellion.

While going about his daily business, which involved a good deal of riding on public transit, Glen Johnson noticed that a great number of his fellow citizens seemed to be having trouble using their brains. He thought it behooved him to do something to try and rectify this situation. Now, as a kind of public service, Mr. Johnson has begun a series of lectures which he has entitled How to Think. The first lecture of this series: How to Think About Spectacle will be performed on June 1st at the Atomic Centre. You owe it to yourself to attend.

Biography: Glen Johnson is a Winnipeg-based writer, installation and performance artist whose work invariably involves text (especially when he is writing). Johnson tells stories as “Uncle Glennie” and as himself, he has delivered faux-lectures to stunned audiences in at least three provinces. He has hung a bed on one wall and nailed tiny words to another. In 2011 he created the Artistic Licence Bureau for the Platform Centre for Photographic and Digital Arts. He has exhibited and/or performed at aceartinc, The Annex, Atomic Centre, Gallery 803, Gallery 1C03, Mount Saint Vincent University, The National Gallery of Canada, The Tallest Poppy, Videopool Media Arts Centre and the Winnipeg Art Gallery. He is responsible for the website http://www.persiflage.ca. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Classics from The University of Winnipeg in 1993 and expects that some day they will ask for it back.

This lecture is presented at Atomic Centre in relation to A Total Spectacle, a mini spectacle about spectacle organized by Winnipeg-based independent curator, Milena Placentile, in collaboration with local, national, and international artists. A Total Spectacle runs from May 18 – June 9 at Atomic Centre. Admission to the exhibition and all related events, including this lecture, is free of charge. For more information, please visit: http://www.atomiccentre.net.

A Total Spectacle has been made possible with thanks to generous financial support from the Canada Council for the Arts through a program formerly known as “Independent Critics and Curators in the Visual Arts Program”, which provided opportunities for creative and intellectual research and production initiated by curators working beyond conventional institutional frameworks. The curator and artists would also like to acknowledge the generous in-kind and promotional support of Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art, Martha Street Studios / Manitoba Printmakers Association, Central Canadian Centre for Performance, Edge Gallery and Akimbo.ca

A Total Spectacle is thrilled to partner with Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art in the presentation of  “Face-Off:  Latina Artists in the Techno Sphere” with Praba Pilar.

Praba Pilar, BOT I, performance still, 2010. Photo by Cisco

The sphere of technology is expanding exponentially into public and private space, raising complex questions.  In this talk, Pilar examines the spectrum of performance art works of Latina artists who critically engage unethical aspects of advanced techno-culture, from workers in computer manufacturing maquiladoras to the genetically modified corn fields of Mexico.

Colombian multi-disciplinary artist Praba Pilar traverses the intersections of art and technology with satire and analysis. Best known for work merging French theorist Paul Virilio with Mexican comedian Cantinflas, her performance work has travelled internationally to museums, galleries, universities, public spaces and online channels, and has been honoured with multiple awards.

Join us!

Friday, May 3, 2013
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. at MAWA (611 Main Street)
Free for all!

The “City With No Animals” is an interactive and immersive installation running April 26th and 27th in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Come visit the White City and learn its history, read its stories, interact with its inhabitants, and play in a world where your only responsibility is to follow your bliss. Experience walking through a city that’s only ever before existed in the imagination, peek into the shops, have tea at the teashop, explore the haunted quarter, have your fortune told at the tree of clouds, and even attend a storytelling performance held in the installation itself. It’ll be something that’s never been see before!

Featured elements:

• The White Tower ~ Where you begin your tour and learn all about the city, is history, and how the people live. You’ll receive a key to start exploring the work.
• The Paper City ~ Visitors will be able to peek inside apartments, shops, and other buildings created from art boxes, paper, glitter, glue, & imagination.
• The Cloud Tree ~ A definitely to scale size tree wrapped in clouds where visitors can play a fortune telling game!
• Beneath the Rose Teashop ~ A teashop where visitors can get a complimentary cup of tea and learn the mysterious history of the city’s favourite theatre, read the weekly newspaper, or other printed materials from the city.
• Oprea Garden ~ A large paper garden that visitors can sit in and curiously, even smell!
• Fourth Quarter Gate ~ Peer inside to see the ghostly forms of the haunted Fourth Quarter!

Friday, April 26th 5:00 -9:00 p.m.
Saturday, April 27th 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Storytelling – Saturday at 6:00 p.m. only
$5 admission at door

Tour the installation from 5 – 9 pm both Friday and Saturday evening or join us at 6:00 pm on Saturday only to enjoy a storytelling performance by the characters that live in the city.

Visit http://www.faeriedark.com for more information!

Celebrity gawking, fear mongering, and other distractions, oh my! Is spectacle a harmless escape from reality, or something more?

Rulers throughout history have gone to great lengths to communicate and maintain their status. Whether that ruler was a dictator, royalty, religious figure, or democratically elected government, displays of power to validate and reinforce control over the masses declared who to admire, what to believe, and how to behave. Preying on core instincts to create situations that appeared effortlessly natural and self-evident, these displays of power featured elements capable of seducing people into agreement, distracting them from unpleasant truths, and/or scaring them out of rebellion.

Today’s spectacle takes many forms, from big budget events and entertainment to ever-present news media and advertising. It displays lifestyles we should envy and tells us how to succeed. It keeps us busy with news about celebrities and sports scores so we dismiss as boring anything that actually affects our lives. It sensationalizes violence while showing us what might happen if we rock the boat. It is power represented through repetitive sights and sounds, stereotypes and cliches, and other social signals about wealth, fame, and technology, and it all serves to influence general opinion and behaviour to support a consumer society and those who profit from it the most.

******************

Taking cues from blockbuster exhibitions past and present to explore the complex nature of contemporary spectacle, A Total Spectacle is a mini spectacle about spectacle created by Winnipeg-based independent curator, Milena Placentile, in collaboration with local, national, and international artists including: Dayna Danger, Glen Johnson, Joe Johnson, Istvan Kantor, Praba Pilar, Scott Sørli, and Paul Wiersbinski.

******************

The exhibition launches at Atomic Centre (167 Logan Avenue, Winnipeg) on May 17 from 7:00 – 10:00 p.m., with an opening ceremony beginning promptly at 8:00 p.m.

Regular open hours from May 18 – June 9 are as follows:

• Wednesday to Friday: 3:00 – 7:00 p.m.
• Saturday and Sunday: 12:00 – 4:00 p.m.
• Monday and Tuesday: Closed

The following events will take place in relation to the exhibition:

• Artist talk with Praba Pilar at Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art (611 Main Street): Friday, May 3, 2013 at 12:00 p.m.
• Exhibition launch: Friday, May 17 from 7:00 – 10:00 p.m. with opening ceremony perfomed by Istvan Kantor beginning promptly at 8:00 p.m. >>> After party: Central Canadian Centre for Performance’s “Pin It to Win It” at Ozzy’s. Details forthcoming!
• Artist talk with Scott Sørli at RAW: Gallery of Architecture & Design (290 McDermot Avenue): Saturday, May 18, 2013 at 6:00 p.m.
• Church of the Nano Bio Info Cogno at 167 Logan Avenue: Saturday, May 25, 2103. Doors at 8:00 p.m. ; service at 8:30 p.m. No late entry.
• First lecture in the new series “How to Think” delivered by Glen Johnson at 167 Logan Avenue: Saturday, June 1, 2013 at 4:00 p.m.

Admission to the exhibition and all related events is free of charge. Please stay tuned for details!

******************

This exhibition has been made possible with thanks to generous financial support from the Canada Council for the Arts through a program formerly known as “Independent Critics and Curators in the Visual Arts Program”, which provided opportunities for creative intellectual research and production initiated by curators working beyond conventional institutional frameworks.

The curator and artists would also like to acknowledge the generous in-kind and promotional support of Mentoring Artists for Women’s Art, Martha Street Studios / Manitoba Printmakers Association, Central Canadian Centre for Performance, RAW: Gallery of Architecture and Design, Edge Village and Gallery, and Akimbo.ca =-)

Graphic design by Colourblind Graphic Design.

******************

Background, for those who like details

“La dottrina del fascismo” (“The Doctrine of Fascism”), written by Giovanni Gentile in 1932 and attributed to Benito Mussolini in 1933, describes fascism as the harmonization of business and labour in the interest of the State. Appreciating Mussolini’s commitment to reduced taxation and union busting, wealthy business owners granted him their support before realizing he aimed to personally control Italy’s various industries by means of a dictatorship. As the self-declared undisputed head of state, Mussolini detested bourgeois luxury and ultimately dismissed the authority of business owners as subordinate to his own. Business owners in Germany experienced similar difficulty controlling Adolph Hitler, the dictator they funded as a way to control striking workers by proxy.

Through the course of events associated with World War II, Mussolini’s Fascism and Hitler’s Nazism were dismantled. Around this time, wealthy business owners and other members of the global elite figured something out: why buy social control via individual, charismatic leaders when you can buy the whole system instead? Representing what became known as the Austrian school of Economics, Friedrich Hayek and Ludwig von Mises co-organized a meeting in 1947 at Hôtel du Parc, near Vevey, Switzerland, that established a European economic federation called The Mont Pelerin Society. Designed to promote aggressive liberal/anti-socialist ideology through a decentralized network, the Society facilitated the development and funding of think tanks, policy makers, and lobby groups, as well as the grooming of politicians and backing of favourable candidates. Simultaneously, through concentrated ownership of the media producing an increasingly narrow spectrum of discourse, corporatist ideologues have compelled large segments of society into willingly surrender many of the human and environmental rights gained since the end of World War II.

Seduce ‘em with consumer goods. Distract ‘em with vapid entertainment. Control ‘em with fear. That is how to harmonize the workers and the state in the interests of business.

******************

What are your plans for after the launch of A Total Spectacle? We’ll be going to Pin It to Win It, an amazing one of a kind burlesting event hosted by our friends Central Canadian Centre for Performance. Find all the details right here: https://www.facebook.com/events/646939255332785/?ref=ts&fref=ts. And, don’t forget, coming to A Total Spectacle and obtaining a stamp at the door with get you into the Pin It to Win It for only $10!! How can anyone say no to that?

Summary

Seeking artists/designers to create four banners that will be digitally printed in Winnipeg (Canada) for presentation as part of an exhibition titled “A Total Spectacle” opening May 17, 2013.

Background

“La dottrina del fascismo” (“The Doctrine of Fascism”), written by Giovanni Gentile in 1932 and attributed to Benito Mussolini in 1933, describes fascism as the harmonization of business and labour in the interest of the State. Appreciating Mussolini’s commitment to reduced taxation and union busting, wealthy business owners granted him their support before realizing he aimed to personally control Italy’s various industries by means of a dictatorship. As the self-declared undisputed head of state, Mussolini detested bourgeois luxury and ultimately dismissed the authority of business owners as subordinate to his own. Business owners in Germany experienced similar difficulty controlling Adolph Hitler, the dictator they funded as a way to control striking workers by proxy.

Through the course of events associated with World War II, Mussolini’s Fascism and Hitler’s Nazism were dismantled. Around this time, wealthy business owners and other members of the global elite figured something out: why buy social control via individual, charismatic leaders when you can buy the whole system instead? Representing what became known as the Austrian school of Economics, Friedrich Hayek and Ludwig von Mises co-organized a meeting in 1947 at Hôtel du Parc, near Vevey, Switzerland, that established a European economic federation called The Mont Pelerin Society. Designed to promote aggressive liberal/anti-socialist ideology through a decentralized network, the Society facilitated the development and funding of think tanks, policy makers, and lobby groups, as well as the grooming of politicians and backing of favourable candidates. Simultaneously, through concentrated ownership of the media producing an increasingly narrow spectrum of discourse, corporatist ideologues have compelled large segments of society into willingly surrender many of the human and environmental rights gained since the end of World War II. Seduce ‘em with consumer goods. Distract ‘em with vapid entertainment. Control ‘em with fear. That is how to harmonize the workers and the state in the interests of business.

Exhibition concept

“A Total Spectacle” will be an exhibition of interdisciplinary work by contemporary artists presented with photos, videos, and other items culled from mass culture in a format that takes cues from blockbuster exhibitions throughout history from Mussolini’s 1932 “Mostra della rivoluzione fascista” (“Exhibition of the Fascist Revolution”) to contemporary for-profit infotainment exhibitions-in-a-box type productions. Playing humourously on notions of authority, this “homemade” spectacle about spectacle will address everyday neoliberal practices intended to cultivate social control through seduction, diversion, and fear.

Since no exhibition about totalitarianism and spectacle would be complete without banners, this project seeks an artist/designer to create a series of four banners that will hang from the ceiling of the exhibition space to frame four sub-topics: power, sex, consumption, and fear.

Submission requirements and deadline:

Please submit low resolution concept drawings (.eps, .jpg., .pdf, or .tif) for four banners in a mock corporate style to represent each of the following four “values”: power, sex, consumption, and fear.

A design concept that references the way corporate values are presented in promotional material such as shareholder reports and/or print advertising is ideal. Any range of colours may be used, but less ink means better affordability; please create an image that makes ample use of white space, especially if you would like your completed banners mailed to you at the end of the exhibition.

Submissions should be accompanied by:

• a brief artist statement
• a few examples of past work (i.e. links to projects)

Please send submissions to contact@shintai-z.com by Saturday, February 23, 2013. Late submissions will not be considered. The selected artist/designer will be notified within one week, and all others will be notified shortly thereafter.

Specifications for selected work:

Four banners will be digitally printed at Martha Street Studios (Manitoba Printmakers Association) for presentation as part of the exhibition mentioned above. The banners will hang from the ceiling. The file specifications are as follows:

• One banner per file to represent each of the following “values”: power, sex, consumption, fear
• Any range of colours may be used, but less ink means better affordability; please create an image that makes ample use of white space, especially if you would like your completed banners mailed to you at the end of the exhibition
• Finished dimensions of each banner must be: 36” (91 cm) wide x 72” (182 cm) long
• 360 dpi preferred; 300 dpi acceptable
• .tif or .eps preferred; .jpg acceptable
• print-ready files must be provided by Monday, April 22, 2013

Compensation

The selected artist/designer will receive an exhibition fee exceeding the minimum recommendations set forth by CARFAC Canadian Artists’ Representation / Le Front des artistes canadiens for 2013 in the category applying to group shows featuring 6 -10 artists (Category I). The artist fee will be payable in Canadian dollars via electronic means for automatic currency conversion where applicable. The banners will be printed at Martha Street Studios (Manitoba Printmakers Association) in Winnipeg. Every effort will be made to ship the finished work to the artist following the exhibition, budget permitting.

Thank you so much! I look forward to your submissions!

With all best regards,
Milena Placentile, Curator

Back by popular demand…

Saturday December 15th & Sunday December 16th, 2012 Winnipeg, Manitoba

Cycle Of Giving is bringing volunteer mechanics together to build over 200 bicycles for Winnipeg children in need. We hope to raise $15,000 to purchase lights and locks for kids and provide free bikes and bike programing across the city. On December 15th – 16th the Atomic Centre @ 167 Logan will be transformed into a magic workshop where salvaged and donated used bicycles are turned into holiday dreams come true!

You can be part of the Cycle of Giving! To find out more, please click here!

Sunday, 18 November 2012
15:00 until 21:00
You know where…

Oh hi!

Julia is an interdisciplinary artist and filmmaker currently based in Lyon now visiting Winnipeg through a residency with Atomic in partnership with Martha Street Studios and MAWA. She’d love to meet you and learn more about Winnipeg’s film scene, so let’s hang out together, share snacks, talk about our work, and watch movies!

The following is a rough idea of what we thought we could do:

3:00 — attendees each bring up to 4 copies of an in-progress script, short story, or poem to share by reading aloud or inviting people to read silently while we eat n’ socialize, so bring food and drink to share for a potluck snacky chow down and ideas ideas ideas in whatever form they may be =-)

4:30 ish — let the friendly feedback begin by sharing thoughts on one another’s in-progress work

7:00 — open screening of video format films, unless someone happens to have and bring a film projector….. it can be your own work, or found footage… whatever you want =-) Together we can come up with a way to decide which ones we’ll watch. We can go as late as we wanna.

All in all, this is a great chance to talk about new ideas and mull over old ones. It might even be a chance to meet someone new and get involved in something cool that you didn’t already know what happening / in the works. Fun? Yes!

Oh, now is also a good time to mention that Julia is shooting footage for her project, “Architecture of an Atom,” on Dec 2nd so coming to this event is not only a chance to for you to meet, but it could also be a great way to see if you wanna get in on the filmmaking fun =-)

Rome and the Infinite Whistle from Juliacks on Vimeo.

Come support the Manitoba Goddess Festival by taking a walk through Baba Yaga’s realm. Visit the urban fairytale forest, the museum of rare and wonderful creatures, as well as the lair of Koshei the Deathless. Then gather your courage and keep close to your tour guide as they lead you up the attic to visit the Mother of Time Itself ~ Baba Yaga.

Learn about this mysterious crone goddess of Russian folklore, about yourself, or just delight in the immersive experience that’s been created for you.

This is an event for all ages – so bring your kids and enjoy the wonderful world the volunteers of the Goddess Festival have created through craft, sound, and a ton of glue & glitter.

Friday, 3 August 2012
17:00 until 21:00

Admission is $5. Proceeds going to support the 2012 Manitoba Goddess Festival. http://manitobagoddessfestival.com/

Saturday June 2, 2012

From the home of country music, Toronto Ontario, comes Steers & Queers! This travelling Fairy Home Companion will transform Atomic into a rowdy country & western bar for one night only, with drag, burlesque, live music and dancing.

Featuring Performances by:

• Toronto drag sensation Miss Fluffy Souffle as your host
• strip hop pioneer Man Chyna
• Patsy Cline (Keri Latimer)
• Lizzy La La,
• Ian Mozden & Coral Maloney
• Peggaylicious DJ’s StagPanther and MonkeySparrow
• + SnQ founder DJ Sigourney Beaver playing both kinds of music – country AND western.

Dress code: chaps, bolos.

Doors open at 10:30