Howdy!
Episode 132 [11:54]
Download: MP3 15MB / FLAC 49MB / Ogg Vorbis 8MB or Stream
Chris 'Zeke' Hand talking about Alain Lacoursière, le Colombo de l'art by Sylvain Larocque.
Listen
And the interview I did with Alain Lacoursière in 2006, click on one of these: MP3 84MB / FLAC 235MB / Ogg Vorbis 52MB or Stream
Originally broadcast on the Monday Morning After on CKUT 90.3 FM, Montreal.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
La Société des directeurs des musées montréalais wastes some more money...
Howdy!
Last week (I know...) la Société des directeurs des musées montréalais announced that Nurun had been hired by them to create an iPhone app. Unfortunately someone forgot to tell them that all iPhones can and do have access to the internet, and that their iPhone app was a duplicate of the information already published on their website.
I have no knowledge of the contract, but I can't imagine that Quebecor subsidiary Nurun would do it for free. Although upon hearing that it has Rated 12+ for the following reasons: Infrequent/Mild Mature/Suggestive Themes, Infrequent/Mild Alcohol, Tobacco, or Drug Use or References, Infrequent/Mild Sexual Content or Nudity, and Infrequent/Mild Profanity or Crude Humor makes it seem a whole heck of lot more interesting.
[Edit 11:30 AM: And I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier, but why the heck didn't La Société des directeurs des musées montréalais commission an artist to make their app?]
Last week (I know...) la Société des directeurs des musées montréalais announced that Nurun had been hired by them to create an iPhone app. Unfortunately someone forgot to tell them that all iPhones can and do have access to the internet, and that their iPhone app was a duplicate of the information already published on their website.
I have no knowledge of the contract, but I can't imagine that Quebecor subsidiary Nurun would do it for free. Although upon hearing that it has Rated 12+ for the following reasons: Infrequent/Mild Mature/Suggestive Themes, Infrequent/Mild Alcohol, Tobacco, or Drug Use or References, Infrequent/Mild Sexual Content or Nudity, and Infrequent/Mild Profanity or Crude Humor makes it seem a whole heck of lot more interesting.
[Edit 11:30 AM: And I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier, but why the heck didn't La Société des directeurs des musées montréalais commission an artist to make their app?]
Rue Frontenac on the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal.
Howdy!
About 10 days ago (I know...) Claude Giguère over at Rue Frontenac went and spoke with a bunch of folk who work at the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal. Namely Stéphane Aquin and Nathalie Bondil.
About 10 days ago (I know...) Claude Giguère over at Rue Frontenac went and spoke with a bunch of folk who work at the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal. Namely Stéphane Aquin and Nathalie Bondil.
Friday, January 21, 2011
More Canadian Art magazine Videos
Howdy!
Lois Andison, Brian Jungen, Allyson Mitchell, Evan Penny and Brendan Lee Satish Tang Thrush Holmes, Margaux Williams and Elizabeth McIntosh
Lois Andison, Brian Jungen, Allyson Mitchell, Evan Penny and Brendan Lee Satish Tang Thrush Holmes, Margaux Williams and Elizabeth McIntosh
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Absolutely nothing to do with Montreal Art
Howdy!
But an entertaining and illuminating article on Jeffrey Deitch and Kathy Grayson. If you need to know, background material on Jeffrey Deitch and Kathy Grayson.
Monday, January 17, 2011
404 ERROR The Object is Not Online, Lev Bratishenko [Zeke's Alternate Art Review 131]
Howdy!
Episode 131 [11:18]
Download: MP3 14MB / FLAC 52MB / Ogg Vorbis 8MB or Stream
Chris 'Zeke' Hand talking about 404 ERROR The Object is Not Online, an exhibit at the Canadian Centre for Architecture by Lev Bratishenko.
Listen
Originally broadcast on the Monday Morning After on CKUT 90.3 FM, Montreal.
Episode 131 [11:18]
Download: MP3 14MB / FLAC 52MB / Ogg Vorbis 8MB or Stream
Chris 'Zeke' Hand talking about 404 ERROR The Object is Not Online, an exhibit at the Canadian Centre for Architecture by Lev Bratishenko.
Listen
Originally broadcast on the Monday Morning After on CKUT 90.3 FM, Montreal.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Linda Anderson (Conversations With A Curator 4)
Howdy!
Linda Anderson is the fourth and final artist to get the uncredited video treatment from the High Museum.
I just love that term "memory painter."
Linda Anderson is the fourth and final artist to get the uncredited video treatment from the High Museum.
I just love that term "memory painter."
Thursday, January 13, 2011
The socks across the street
Howdy!
This is what has been across the street from my apartment for the past couple of weeks.
This is the explanation. Since Domison's website is all flash based, there is no link to their website that I can use. Pity...
Nellie Mae Rowe (Conversations With A Curator 3)
Howdy!
Nellie Mae Rowe gets the uncredited video treatment from the High Museum today.
Nellie Mae Rowe gets the uncredited video treatment from the High Museum today.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Howard Finster (Conversations With A Curator 2)
Howdy!
Another nice video, this time on some work by Howard Finster done by the High Museum in Atlanta.
And again I ask, why isn't there any on screen credit for Mr. Finster?
Another nice video, this time on some work by Howard Finster done by the High Museum in Atlanta.
And again I ask, why isn't there any on screen credit for Mr. Finster?
The National Gallery of Canada is becoming a children's museum
Howdy!
English
French
The seriously cool prizes are gift certificate for art supplies (no sponsor mentioned). One of the judges is a radio DJ, and another claims he can't collect anymore art. Hmmm... Details here.
English
French
The seriously cool prizes are gift certificate for art supplies (no sponsor mentioned). One of the judges is a radio DJ, and another claims he can't collect anymore art. Hmmm... Details here.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Making Devimco look good
Howdy!
Late last year there was this imaginary architectural competition about what to do with some places in Griffintown. Last week they named the five finalists. I have some questions.
Site 01 Station de police: Sound/Station, Brendan Whitsitt, Aaron Jacobson, Marc Hardiejowski. Don't they know that it is winter here in Montreal 8 months out of the year? And I also think that Spectra owns all the rights to outdoor performances in the city.
Site 02 Horse Palace: Griffintown Horse Palace, HTDSTUDIO, Équipe: Howard Duffy. So if I understand this one correctly, Mr. Duffy is proposing sending Leo's horses to the glue factory so that their stables can be replaced with an art gallery?
Site 03 Maison escamotable: Wood Bridge, Martin Mic. Doesn't Mr. Mic know that every building that is still standing in Griffintown is considered a historical artifact and protected by law? (Or at least the extent of the law that isn't covered by bribes). And 6002 ft!? The only reason people move down to Griffintown is so that they can live in large spaces.
Site 04 Tour d’aiguillage: Re-Hiding, Office of Urban Transformations Research RMIT University, Équipe: Rosalea Monacella, Craig Douglas, Kathryn English, Joseline Setiawan, Tarryn Boden, Thomas Harper, Greg Afflick. Same question as for number one, and on top of it, all those plants are facing north, they are going to get precious little sunlight.
Site 05 Bassin Peel: Castor Redux 2010, René Fan. While I know that Montreal has four statues of Maurice Richard, I'm not certain it really needs (or wants) two beaver lakes.
[Edit 12h41: An earlier version of this post misspelled the name Devimco. It has now been corrected.]
Late last year there was this imaginary architectural competition about what to do with some places in Griffintown. Last week they named the five finalists. I have some questions.
Site 01 Station de police: Sound/Station, Brendan Whitsitt, Aaron Jacobson, Marc Hardiejowski. Don't they know that it is winter here in Montreal 8 months out of the year? And I also think that Spectra owns all the rights to outdoor performances in the city.
Site 02 Horse Palace: Griffintown Horse Palace, HTDSTUDIO, Équipe: Howard Duffy. So if I understand this one correctly, Mr. Duffy is proposing sending Leo's horses to the glue factory so that their stables can be replaced with an art gallery?
Site 03 Maison escamotable: Wood Bridge, Martin Mic. Doesn't Mr. Mic know that every building that is still standing in Griffintown is considered a historical artifact and protected by law? (Or at least the extent of the law that isn't covered by bribes). And 6002 ft!? The only reason people move down to Griffintown is so that they can live in large spaces.
Site 04 Tour d’aiguillage: Re-Hiding, Office of Urban Transformations Research RMIT University, Équipe: Rosalea Monacella, Craig Douglas, Kathryn English, Joseline Setiawan, Tarryn Boden, Thomas Harper, Greg Afflick. Same question as for number one, and on top of it, all those plants are facing north, they are going to get precious little sunlight.
Site 05 Bassin Peel: Castor Redux 2010, René Fan. While I know that Montreal has four statues of Maurice Richard, I'm not certain it really needs (or wants) two beaver lakes.
[Edit 12h41: An earlier version of this post misspelled the name Devimco. It has now been corrected.]
Herbert Singleton (Conversations With A Curator 1)
Howdy!
A nice video on a door by Herbert Singleton.
But why don't they give him any on screen credit?
A nice video on a door by Herbert Singleton.
But why don't they give him any on screen credit?
Monday, January 10, 2011
Cameron Skene, Anish Kapoor [Zeke's Alternate Art Conversation 130]
Howdy!
Episode 130 [18:35]
Download: MP3 24MB / FLAC 83MB / Ogg Vorbis 14MB or Stream
Chris 'Zeke' Hand in conversation with Cameron Skene about the Anish Kapoor retrospective at the National Gallery of Modern Art, Delhi.
Listen
Originally broadcast on the Monday Morning After on CKUT 90.3 FM, Montreal.
Episode 130 [18:35]
Download: MP3 24MB / FLAC 83MB / Ogg Vorbis 14MB or Stream
Chris 'Zeke' Hand in conversation with Cameron Skene about the Anish Kapoor retrospective at the National Gallery of Modern Art, Delhi.
Listen
Originally broadcast on the Monday Morning After on CKUT 90.3 FM, Montreal.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Nice promo on "Stealing the Mystic Lamb: The True Story of the World's Most Coveted Masterpiece" By Noah Charney
Howdy!
Back at the end of the year, it made it onto NPR. Although I think the title of the article is more hyperbole than fact.
Back at the end of the year, it made it onto NPR. Although I think the title of the article is more hyperbole than fact.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Where upon I repeat myself that Gérald Fillion knows absolutely nothing about Le marché de l'art and it shows
Howdy!
Yesterday I posted a video from RDI of Gérald Fillion talking to Simon Blais. As I hit the 'publish' button I thought I should explain myself. But then I figured "naw! It's self-explanatory." Plus it was likely to take an hour or two, which seemed a little excessive for a six minute video.
Ooops! my bad. M. Fillion (or someone signing his name to a comment) asked for an explanation. So first off, here's the video again (and thanks again to Eric Bolduc and Ratsdeville for bringing it to my attention).
And here's what's wrong with it:
0:08 seconds. The Quebecois art market was not affected by the worldwide recession for the same reason that the dollar pizza place on the corner wasn't affected by the worldwide recession - it is small in size and value and completely, utterly and 100% local.
0:13 seconds. Internationally, very few artists make a living from their art. What does this comment have to do with anything?
0:17 seconds. Simon Blais runs one commercial art gallery in Montreal. There are over 400 art galleries in Montreal, speaking to one person about their personal views should be labeled as such. He is not an objective observer either. It is the equivalent of talking to the bus driver of the 9h15 Sherbrooke street bus about public transit in Montreal.
0:32 seconds. Is the Quebecois Art Market doing well? Give me a break! Isn't their a better opening question that M. Fillion could have thought of? And especially since M. Fillion didn't follow it up with a question such as, "how do you define 'doing well?'"
0:51 seconds. So M. Blais' business suffered a decline of 25%, during the same time period he mentions, about 10 new galleries opened up. Maybe he just didn't know how to do business in 2009/10?
0:55 seconds. "But nothing catastrophic"? Just how does M. Fillion define catastrophic? If the TSX declined by 25%, I'd say it was a catastrophe. If sea levels declined by 25%, I'd say it was catastrophic. If it was my business, I'd say a 25% decline in sales was catastrophic.
0:57 seconds. Hundreds of galleries in the United States closing is a tiny percentage of the number of art galleries in the United States. And as M. Blais states, if four or five (although he first states, he doesn't know - which I would venture as a guess was closer to the truth) closed that would be less than 2% of all the art galleries in Montreal.
1:10 minutes. Showing uncredited art (that I assume was filmed at M. Blais' gallery) is just flat out bad journalism. And of questionable ethics as well.
1:23 minutes. M. Blais was referring to the worldwide art market crash in the 1990s. M. Fillion's question about the differences between now and then has absolutely nothing to do with the Quebecois (or Montreal) art market.
1:30 minutes. If it was a complete loss of confidence in the art market, why did people continue to buy extremely expensive art all through the 1990s?
1:32 minutes. Fundamental Economic Changes? Like what? Did people suddenly become less greedy? And M. Fillion didn't even (again) think to follow up on such a statement. And once M. Blais starts on the property market, do you think is he talking internationally? Or locally? And wouldn't that be the equivalent of listening to the bus driver talk about Formula One cars?
1:49 minutes. Did M. Blais suddenly forget what happened to property values in Montreal when the Parti Quebecois came to power?
2:13 minutes. If M. Fillion wants to know why it is difficult for an artist to make a living, wouldn't it be better to talk to an artist?
2:30 minutes. Calling Quebec art a small part of the Canadian Art Market is patently false. Just because art made here gets sold in Vancouver doesn't turn it into BC art. And responding, to M. Fillion's question by blaming it on a 'small' market is even more incorrect. (And why doesn't the artist painting on two-thirds of the screen get his name written across the bottom?)
2:34 minutes. There is a humongous and tremendous tradition of supporting art here in Quebec. It's called taxes. In 08/09 CALQ gave away $90 million. And then there's Heritage Canada, The Canada Council, the Montreal Arts Council and, and, and...
2:58 minutes. Another ridiculous question. Asking about 'potential.' Only a slug or a cretin would answer: "No."
3:07 minutes. If whatever people M. Blais is referring to, have only been interested in art for 20 or 30 years. Then how and when did Riopelle become famous and his paintings so expensive?
3:13 minutes. "We're going to win." Ummm, what's the competition?
3:21 minutes. So his clients are getting smarter. That does not mean that everyone else's clients were as dumb as his 20 years ago.
3:37 minutes. His client base has grown by 50% in 10 years, but he suffered a 25% drop in sales last year. There is something very strange about those numbers.
3:48 minutes. Another ridiculous question. Imagine what would happen to M. Blais' credibility if he responded negatively.
3:54 minutes. What's the difference between "investments" and "absolute value"?
4:09 minutes. The first statement by either M. Blais or M. Fillion that I have agreed with completely, wholeheartedly and 100%.
4:24 minutes. Utter claptrap and nonsense. If the price of the art is dictated by the size of the economy, then why isn't that the case for cars sold in Quebec? Shirts sold in Quebec? or any other product that is sold in Quebec?
4:36 minutes. What the heck is showing on the right hand side of the screen and how is it in any way related to Quebecois art?
4:56 minutes. Another ridiculous question. I presume that M. Fillion speaks to stock analysts, does he ever ask why their estimations for a stock price aren't attained? I also presume that he knows about betting on sporting matches. Does he ever ask why their estimations for the outcome of a game don't happen? And then if he were to ask, wouldn't it be better to ask the person who made the estimation? Instead of someone else?
5:11 minutes. So am I to understand that M. Blais just said that Heffel couldn't recognize a crappy Riopelle painting if it bit them? And what's with the mouse on the Simon Blais website? That's just flat-out annoying.
5:20 minutes. This is where I completely lost it. M. Blais stating that the 'private' sales are a better judge of market than an auction. If that is the case, why doesn't the TSX just close up? In situations like this, I am always reminded of the phrase "There's a sucker born every minute." And after he said that an auction was not a good judge of the market and you accepted it - I realized that neither M. Blais or M. Fillion knew a gosh darn thing about the art market.
Yesterday I posted a video from RDI of Gérald Fillion talking to Simon Blais. As I hit the 'publish' button I thought I should explain myself. But then I figured "naw! It's self-explanatory." Plus it was likely to take an hour or two, which seemed a little excessive for a six minute video.
Ooops! my bad. M. Fillion (or someone signing his name to a comment) asked for an explanation. So first off, here's the video again (and thanks again to Eric Bolduc and Ratsdeville for bringing it to my attention).
And here's what's wrong with it:
0:08 seconds. The Quebecois art market was not affected by the worldwide recession for the same reason that the dollar pizza place on the corner wasn't affected by the worldwide recession - it is small in size and value and completely, utterly and 100% local.
0:13 seconds. Internationally, very few artists make a living from their art. What does this comment have to do with anything?
0:17 seconds. Simon Blais runs one commercial art gallery in Montreal. There are over 400 art galleries in Montreal, speaking to one person about their personal views should be labeled as such. He is not an objective observer either. It is the equivalent of talking to the bus driver of the 9h15 Sherbrooke street bus about public transit in Montreal.
0:32 seconds. Is the Quebecois Art Market doing well? Give me a break! Isn't their a better opening question that M. Fillion could have thought of? And especially since M. Fillion didn't follow it up with a question such as, "how do you define 'doing well?'"
0:51 seconds. So M. Blais' business suffered a decline of 25%, during the same time period he mentions, about 10 new galleries opened up. Maybe he just didn't know how to do business in 2009/10?
0:55 seconds. "But nothing catastrophic"? Just how does M. Fillion define catastrophic? If the TSX declined by 25%, I'd say it was a catastrophe. If sea levels declined by 25%, I'd say it was catastrophic. If it was my business, I'd say a 25% decline in sales was catastrophic.
0:57 seconds. Hundreds of galleries in the United States closing is a tiny percentage of the number of art galleries in the United States. And as M. Blais states, if four or five (although he first states, he doesn't know - which I would venture as a guess was closer to the truth) closed that would be less than 2% of all the art galleries in Montreal.
1:10 minutes. Showing uncredited art (that I assume was filmed at M. Blais' gallery) is just flat out bad journalism. And of questionable ethics as well.
1:23 minutes. M. Blais was referring to the worldwide art market crash in the 1990s. M. Fillion's question about the differences between now and then has absolutely nothing to do with the Quebecois (or Montreal) art market.
1:30 minutes. If it was a complete loss of confidence in the art market, why did people continue to buy extremely expensive art all through the 1990s?
1:32 minutes. Fundamental Economic Changes? Like what? Did people suddenly become less greedy? And M. Fillion didn't even (again) think to follow up on such a statement. And once M. Blais starts on the property market, do you think is he talking internationally? Or locally? And wouldn't that be the equivalent of listening to the bus driver talk about Formula One cars?
1:49 minutes. Did M. Blais suddenly forget what happened to property values in Montreal when the Parti Quebecois came to power?
2:13 minutes. If M. Fillion wants to know why it is difficult for an artist to make a living, wouldn't it be better to talk to an artist?
2:30 minutes. Calling Quebec art a small part of the Canadian Art Market is patently false. Just because art made here gets sold in Vancouver doesn't turn it into BC art. And responding, to M. Fillion's question by blaming it on a 'small' market is even more incorrect. (And why doesn't the artist painting on two-thirds of the screen get his name written across the bottom?)
2:34 minutes. There is a humongous and tremendous tradition of supporting art here in Quebec. It's called taxes. In 08/09 CALQ gave away $90 million. And then there's Heritage Canada, The Canada Council, the Montreal Arts Council and, and, and...
2:58 minutes. Another ridiculous question. Asking about 'potential.' Only a slug or a cretin would answer: "No."
3:07 minutes. If whatever people M. Blais is referring to, have only been interested in art for 20 or 30 years. Then how and when did Riopelle become famous and his paintings so expensive?
3:13 minutes. "We're going to win." Ummm, what's the competition?
3:21 minutes. So his clients are getting smarter. That does not mean that everyone else's clients were as dumb as his 20 years ago.
3:37 minutes. His client base has grown by 50% in 10 years, but he suffered a 25% drop in sales last year. There is something very strange about those numbers.
3:48 minutes. Another ridiculous question. Imagine what would happen to M. Blais' credibility if he responded negatively.
3:54 minutes. What's the difference between "investments" and "absolute value"?
4:09 minutes. The first statement by either M. Blais or M. Fillion that I have agreed with completely, wholeheartedly and 100%.
4:24 minutes. Utter claptrap and nonsense. If the price of the art is dictated by the size of the economy, then why isn't that the case for cars sold in Quebec? Shirts sold in Quebec? or any other product that is sold in Quebec?
4:36 minutes. What the heck is showing on the right hand side of the screen and how is it in any way related to Quebecois art?
4:56 minutes. Another ridiculous question. I presume that M. Fillion speaks to stock analysts, does he ever ask why their estimations for a stock price aren't attained? I also presume that he knows about betting on sporting matches. Does he ever ask why their estimations for the outcome of a game don't happen? And then if he were to ask, wouldn't it be better to ask the person who made the estimation? Instead of someone else?
5:11 minutes. So am I to understand that M. Blais just said that Heffel couldn't recognize a crappy Riopelle painting if it bit them? And what's with the mouse on the Simon Blais website? That's just flat-out annoying.
5:20 minutes. This is where I completely lost it. M. Blais stating that the 'private' sales are a better judge of market than an auction. If that is the case, why doesn't the TSX just close up? In situations like this, I am always reminded of the phrase "There's a sucker born every minute." And after he said that an auction was not a good judge of the market and you accepted it - I realized that neither M. Blais or M. Fillion knew a gosh darn thing about the art market.
Compare, Contrast and Juxtapose
Howdy!
Submitted without commentary.
The Observatoire de la culture et des communications du Québec released statistics (read dollar figures) on art purchases by museums in Quebec during the 2008/09 year. They also released attendance figures for the third quarter of 2010.
Combined stats (money) for the Artist Run Centres in Quebec.
William Powhida's "A Guide to the Market Oligopoly System," with commentary by Felix Salmon.
And Skate's Annual Art Investment Report: 2010 in Review, Forecast for 2011.
Submitted without commentary.
The Observatoire de la culture et des communications du Québec released statistics (read dollar figures) on art purchases by museums in Quebec during the 2008/09 year. They also released attendance figures for the third quarter of 2010.
Combined stats (money) for the Artist Run Centres in Quebec.
William Powhida's "A Guide to the Market Oligopoly System," with commentary by Felix Salmon.
And Skate's Annual Art Investment Report: 2010 in Review, Forecast for 2011.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Gérald Fillion knows absolutely nothing about Le marché de l'art and it shows
Howdy!
[Edit January 6, 2011: Go here for the explanations]
Thanks to v and Ratsdeville I saw this.
And after watching it, I almost wanted to tear my hair out and scream! It is such a complete and utter piece of nonsense. Spouting cliches like they are god's honest truth.
[Edit January 6, 2011: Go here for the explanations]
Thanks to v and Ratsdeville I saw this.
And after watching it, I almost wanted to tear my hair out and scream! It is such a complete and utter piece of nonsense. Spouting cliches like they are god's honest truth.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Free Calendars! [Zeke's Alternate Art Rant 129]
Howdy!
Episode 129 [18:33]
Download: MP3 23MB / FLAC 91MB / Ogg Vorbis 12MB or Stream
Chris 'Zeke' Hand in discussion with Lisyan Pieries, Sabrina Santucci and Margo Lane about free calendars that are available in Montreal this year.
Listen
Originally broadcast on the Monday Morning After on CKUT 90.3 FM, Montreal.
Episode 129 [18:33]
Download: MP3 23MB / FLAC 91MB / Ogg Vorbis 12MB or Stream
Chris 'Zeke' Hand in discussion with Lisyan Pieries, Sabrina Santucci and Margo Lane about free calendars that are available in Montreal this year.
Listen
Originally broadcast on the Monday Morning After on CKUT 90.3 FM, Montreal.
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