Unbound A/V Art: Redefining the Undefined

(A/V art, online exhibition)

We are pleased to present a response to “Unbound A/V: Redefining the Undefined” by Chukwudebem Ukaigwe READ HERE

Note: More information about the A/V artworks Chukwudebem Ukaigwe cited is below.

BACKGROUND:

“Unbound A/V: Redefining the Undefined” was an online exhibition that took place from November 29 to Dec 11, 2022, and featured 19 A/V artworks, programmed by five curators, organized into four themes, screening for free on VUCAVU.

The idea for this online exhibition of audiovisual (A/V) art began with Julie Gendron and Emma Hendrix of Manufacturing Entertainment at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. As they saw opportunities for presenting their A/V performance art dwindle, they knew it must be happening to other artists too. Gendron and Hendrix wanted to find an online venue to share this work until it was possible to have in-person events again.

As they explored their idea further, questions arose about the genre itself. Why is it more challenging to find A/V art in North America while it is so popular in Europe and countries like Japan? Why does it seem so privileged and exclusive? Who is making it and who is excluded? Are there boundaries to the genre? Are there common themes? Gendron and Hendrix knew they could not have a balanced conversation on their own and formed a curatorial collective so they could learn more.

Over an eight-month period, Constantine Katsiris, Kofi Oduro, Jennifer Smith, Emma Hendrix and Julie Gendron developed a curatorial direction for this online exhibition of Audiovisual (A/V) artwork. Each wrote a statement about their experience. READ HERE

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.

List of Artists, Audiovisual (A/V) Artworks and Themes

1. PROCESSING ANATOMY
These artworks demonstrate different ways to show physical form. Through the utilization and examination of technique, whether in process or focus, the artworks in Processing Anatomy offer a meditation on movement, surface and shape. The range of approaches and styles challenge the audience’s perception.

The Automatic Message
“Tabloid” – view online

Matthew Cardinal
“10 Blocks Heading South” – view online

erψn temp3st
“Å®†3ƒ@ç+” – view online

Freida Abtan
“Flight of Birds” – learn more

Sydnie Baynes
“Rhumbouge Cowgirl” – learn more

2. WORLD BUILDING
This collection of artworks highlights the creative approaches A/V artists use to develop and present exceptional, transcendental experiences; where the artworks ground themselves in our own expectations in order to take us on a journey to another place that is both familiar and foreign, made of histories and futures that point to new ways of understanding the current moment.

Erin Gee
“We as Waves” – learn more

Inflatable Deities (Jessica Mensch and Emily Pelstring)
“Mourning of the Living Past” – learn more

Sabrina Ratté
“ALIQUID” – view online

Casey Koyczan
“Ełexiìtǫ ; Ehts’ǫǫ̀ / Connected ; Apart From Each Other“ – learn more

Elise Simard
“Beautiful Like Elsewhere / Beau Comme Ailleurs“ – view online

3. ABSTRACT SCREENSCAPE
The artworks in Abstract Screenscape are observational and enduring; immersive and immediate. They offer an experience that is present and precise, timeless and vague. They are the antithesis of swiping through social media, offering a glimpse into abstraction where sound and visuals work together to create speculation for the senses.

Lindsey Rewuski and Darren Miller
“Immiscible“ – view online

Gary James Joynes
“Broken Sound“ – view online

Bret Parenteau & Rhayne Vermette
“Smoke“ – learn more

Jacob Audrey Taves
“NBCEO Vol. 2” – learn more

4. STAGE AND PLATFORM
A/V is most often associated with performance, live audience, and improvisation. The artworks in Stage and Platform are a sample of different ways artists present their A/V artwork. From theatrical to virtual; live stage performance to home studio virtuosity– the context is influenced by the setting whether intentional or not.