Elsewhat

Colourful mural by Jordan Bennett.

Street Scultpure off St. Laurent blvd. by Spanish artist Isaac Cordal.

When I saw the title of this book, written by fellow Montréaler Kevin Yuen Kit Lo of LOKI, I know I had to go to the book launch and read it. The description says it well: “Design Against Design argues for the urgent necessity of critical engagement and political resistance through graphic practice.”

The book is a clear reflection of its author—socially conscious, antiestablishment, anticapitalist, and with a punk aesthetic in its visuals and politics. It’s also deeply personal, and begins with a vivid account of childhood abuse, which may turn some people off. You know from the first chapter that it’s not a beach read.

Design Against Design was great, evoking some other great socially-conscious design writers like Victor Papanek and Mike Monteiro. It’s not meant to go down easy.

Order the Book Here →

The above is a photo I took of a formerly empty lot in Montréal, upon which has been built a thriving temporary space. It has the above gazebo, benches galore, picnic tables, and a free mini gold course. It isn’t built to last—instead it’s built to test out having a park in that spot. It’s taking unused space and giving it a use, commonly known as ‘tactical urbanism’.

Montréal, more than any other North American city I’ve seen, really uses its public space. Kids play. Old people walk and sit on the benches or play pétanque. Young people go at night to drink beer, hang out, and flirt. Our parks are full from morning to late at night. More and more streets are being closed temporarily to cars, and replaced with benches, terraces, games, and art installations. Lots or formerly empty spaces are being filled with spaces for all ages to gather. It’s a wonderful way to try things out, see what people use, and adapt for longer use later.

As this article in Arch Daily puts it:

The intent behind meanwhile spaces is to grow innovative ideas and empower the local community. Through interventions such as meeting areas, learning and training spaces, pop-up shops, eateries and exhibitions, urban areas and their communities witness positive transformation. The lease may last anywhere between a few days to a few years. The impact on localities may last up to a lifetime.

Tiny skatepark in concrete found in Montréal’s Rosemont neighbourhood which has been tagged by tiny graffiti.

Here is a new Montréal-only mailing list I have high hopes for. Community Service chronicles upcoming art and design events in the city. I’m happy to have a non-social-media-based way of getting news about art events.

Subscribe Here →

Taken in Mile End’s very picturesque skate park.

I recently got to take part in a very small art performance for a single person, me. Montréal/Rome based artist Sarah Zakaib met with me in a coffee shop, told me stories of her extended family, and gifted me with a casting of a ring that one of her family members had smuggled out of Italy during World War II. It was an art performance for a single person. It was touching, personal, and refreshingly small. The other people in the coffee shop had no idea that anything unusual was happening at all.

A closeup of Anahita Norouzi‘s artwork Constellational Diasporas from the Montréal’s Musée d’art contemporain. Each glass orb contains an invasive Persian Hogweed seed, which is an invasive species here in Quebec.

Montréal has seen many, many pieces of public art pop up in the last few years, thanks in part to the Mural festival. These artworks are accessible, free to the public, and take art out of the institutional (dare I say elitist) art galleries. The city has started to curate a photo gallery of these murals, which number over 300(!). Worth a scroll to see some great pieces.

Visit the Gallery →