W2 Perel Gallery Opening Week with Hot One Inch Action Art – by Liza J. Lee
Sunday, November 8th, 2009October 7, 2009 – With renovated heritage buildings, hundreds of new condo units and big box retailers at the historic Woodward’s location, Downtown Eastside, Vancouver is rapidly changing with the fast-approaching 2010 Winter Games and ongoing gentrification in a community plagued with drugs and prostitution. Until W2 Media Arts Centre is opened at the former Woodward’s, it is based at the Perel Building across the street at 112 West Hastings to run programs and media arts residencies.
The W2 Perel Gallery has already hosted an “unconference”, two workshops, a photography exhibit and a planning meeting, before hosting the 6th Annual Hot One Inch Action Art. The new temporary gallery is a welcoming environment for social interaction, with couches scattered throughout to invite conversations, while the bar and loft are contained in an adjacent, yet separated backroom space.
Annual button art social interaction event
Conceived by Jim Hoehnle and Chris Bentzen in 2004, the annual Hot One Inch Action Art facilitates social inclusion through audience dialogue and trading. It is a one-night only show of art, music and social interaction where the original work of 50 different artists are presented on one-inch buttons and displayed on the wall.
The duo started the annual art show in 2003 to explore the relationship between protest and media, as one-inch buttons are symbolic of protest culture for social change. The show gets the art audience to interact socially, as opposed to passively looking at art – by selling mixed bags of five buttons for $5. As people may not receive the buttons they want, they would need to trade buttons with others. It is social activism in the form of social networking.
Social networking for the arts community
At the 2009 Hot One Inch Action Art, Jim Cummins (aka I,Braineater) and Anne Marie Slater (photographer and community-public artist of “The Voice of Strathcona Children”, at the Heart of the City Festival at Chapel Arts 304 Dunlevy – http://chapelarts.com/site/?cat=18) attended to intermingle with the audience, although they are not part of the presenting artists.
Slater who is also in the film industry says networking is commonplace in film, but not in the visual arts. The annual button art show is a great way to help visual artists get out of their isolation and to network with others. Art creation is a solitary experience and social interaction is necessary to help strengthen the arts community through collaborations and cross-promotions, particularly in light of the recent draconian funding cuts.
Jim Cummins, better known as I,Braineater is Canada’s legendary Punkrock & Art Icon for over 20 years. He says he has recently come out of a three-year hiatus, with renewed health after losing nearly 100 pounds and conquering a life-long battle from addictions.
With refreshed purpose in his creative career, the Hot One Inch Action Art was an opportunity for Jim to promote his upcoming December 3 collaborative show at Celebrities Nightclub. Colleague Phil Western will be wearing an I,Braineater costume, while Jim will be providing a performance art madness and exhibiting his pop culture art, in celebration of LuvnGrace’s “LUV-A-FAIR” 29 Year Christmas Anniversary. For more information, visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=171555657002&ref=mf.
Outreach action set for W2 Media Arts Centre
Planned to open in Spring 2010, the vision of the W2 Media Arts Centre is to serve as an outreach in the Downtown Eastside to help foster social inclusion with the arts as an integral component of community engagement. With the recent art funding cuts, much hope is anticipated for the launch of the centre for both the troubled neighbourhood and the financially-battered arts community.
ENDNOTES:
I told Jim Cummins that I had recently photographed his I,Braineater costume on Phil Western, who was the DJ at Open Studios. The flashlight eyes kept popping out of the gigantic sponge costume, threatening to hit the audience! Jim replied that he is planning to build a smaller version of the costume, with more air circulation for Phil.
Liza J. Lee is the Co-founder and Blogger for Artistrun ArtConverge.
W2 Perel Gallery is located near Gastown, Vancouver.
© 2009 ArtConverge (ISSN 1918-9273)
