OK, pause, and rip yourself away from the Olympics for just one second. Fact or Fiction: Cow-Town-Calgary has no appreciation for the arts. Answer? Fiction! Now, sure, we’re no New York, New York, but Calgary has its fair share of haute-art opportunities. This upcoming weekend, on the 26th and 27th, Calgary is gearing up to be a prime example of some of our city’s prime creative juices.
Friday the 26th and Saturday the 27th is the ArtaWEARness event put on by the Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD). Let’s all pull out our checklist for events worth digging into our moth-bearing wallets to see. Does it/is it:
1) showcase something awesome
2) provoke your interest
3) have meaning of some form or another
Bonus points:
4) involve local youth
5) affordable and accesible
The ArtaWEARness event fulfills ALL of these criteria – and more. Essentially, and I can not put it in better words, it is a college of crazy spewing from some of the most artistic, analytical, sleep-deprived minds in our city – the students of ACAD. Everything from sculpture to recycled material to metal working is somehow transfigured into avant-garde pieces that strut down a runway. Really, it’s better to not try and explain the genius that is birthed out of this. So, I’ll show you an example:
Lydia Karpenko’s collection from last year’s event took place in a not-too-distant future where environmental pollution has become extremely toxic to all living things. All humans that populate this world must wear biohazard/containment clothing that protects them from their polluted surroundings. People have adapted their technological research and developed an extremely effective protection “suit” in the form of a living, fungus-like organism. This organism consumes atmospheric pollution and excretes oxygen as its byproduct. By entering into symbiotic relationship with the organism, the human is fully protected from environmental toxicity. The result, human hosts become hybrid organisms or bio-cyborgs that have successfully adapted to their natural habitat.
The pictures are her creations. Mark the dates – this Friday and Saturday at 8pm – on your calendar. Standing tickets are only 15$ (seated is 25$) and ACAD is right off the C-train. Want more information? See the website!
I won’t be here for it this year, but I wish I had known about it earlier. Certainly, this is an awesome, youth-showcasing event in the city that should not be missed!
great post as usual!