The situation is urgent! But we can still take action, each at our own scale and in many different ways. Many artists have understood this.
As the last bastion against idiocracy, does art necessarily have to be militant? In any case, artists have the ability to make us collectively feel the intention behind their work. As contemporary works, several projects presented by MUTEK Montréal highlight the importance of ecological questions, through striking performances by committed artists.
Animate: Living a possible future
What if Virtual Reality was the best way to visualize what the future might look like, if we took no action? Chris Salter has taken up this challenge.
Through a 40-minute collective immersive experience, Animate transports us to a dystopian Canadian landscape where global warming is no longer a distant reality, but a disastrous consequence of our inaction.
Equipped with a virtual reality headset and dozens of other explorers, we flee the climate catastrophe and its effects. The ground is ochre, desert-like, resembling the surface of Mars, almost out of time and space.
Guided by the actors to the rhythm of music composed by Caterina Barbieri among others, this radiophonic piece is produced using binaural technology, offering the experience of three-dimensional surround sound.
For total immersion, Montréal-based digital artist Timothy Thomasson has imagined a three-dimensional environment, questioning the ways in which moving images are produced and consumed in historical and contemporary contexts.
In a world on the brink, in a world full of radical change, witness the complex interconnections between humans and nature.
From August 22nd to 26th, take part in a 40-minute collective experience with up to 10 people simultaneously. Book your spots NOW- accessible to everyone aged 14 and above.
Join us at The 7 Fingers to experience something unparalleled.
SPIME.IM: Looking the truth in the face
Bruce Sterling's concept of "spime" describes the ability to follow an object through space and time for its entire lifetime. By juxtaposing this idea with "I am", SPIME.IM embodies the being intertwined between the artificial and the natural, between space and time.
An avant-garde artistic collective fusing cutting-edge technology, 3D art and electronic music, SPIME.IM explores the complex links between ecology and technology, inviting us to reflect on our impact on the environment.
Their latest audiovisual performance, Grey Line, tackles contemporary issues with incisive sincerity, including the inevitability of climate change and the impact of human activities on the environment.à
Just as we are entangled in this systematic chaos, by refining our perception and exploring the subtle gradations that make up the grey, we may begin to understand the intricate variations of reality. – SPIME.IM
Reflecting on our constant exposure to and assimilation of media flows, SPIME.IM attempts to depict the emotional state in which we are entangled. The group seeks to capture this sometimes absurd reality, which they also refer to as "the age of the absurd" or "bad temporality".
Performing at A/Visions 2 on Saturday, August 26th at Théâtre Maisonneuve, Place des Arts.
DATUM CUT: Deprogrammed obsolescence
Maxime Corbeil Perron's DATUM CUT project is distinguished by its audiovisual performances that probe the themes of ephemerality and obsolescence. Combining the post-digital with the analog, DATUM CUT transcend the boundaries between the visual and the auditory.
inex_materia, his latest performance, is a celebration of impermanence and obsolescence that weaves links between past and future, notably through black-and-white visuals contrasting with the prismatic brilliance of analog video synthesis.
Beyond aesthetics, DATUM CUT explores philosophical and ecological issues. Drawing inspiration from anarchitecture, where light cuts through the body to reveal an organic, interdependent connection, the project questions the relationship between nature and technology.
The soundtrack accompanying the performances is meticulously crafted, fusing samples of modular synthesizers, vinyl and electromagnetic fields. This attention to synchronicity between sound and image questions the ephemeral and the balance between technology and nature, in a world in perpetual transformation.
Performing at A/Visions 2 on Saturday, August 26th at Théâtre Maisonneuve, Place des Arts.
Eli Goldstein: musical activism
Eli Goldstein, known as one half of Soul Clap, is also an activist for climate awareness and sustainability in the music industry.
I also had been getting more involved with DJs For Climate Action and felt like it was important to speak to the dangers facing our planet and everything that lives on it. – Eli Goldstein for Nouveau York
His involvement with DJs for Climate Action (DJs4CA), founded in 2011, is testament to his dedication to seeing positive change take place. Collaborating with other artists, Goldstein harnesses the energy of electronic music and DJ culture to promote climate solutions and generate meaningful action.
His contribution goes beyond music, and his various roles, from running Soul Clap Records to more recently his involvement with Rave The Vote, illustrate his holistic approach. His decision to stop touring because of the environmental impact of air travel reflects his personal alignment with his values. (He will travel to Montréal from New York by train).
Eli Goldstein is a pioneer in the music industry, demonstrating that a sustainable struggle is not only possible, but imperative. Through his diverse contributions, he is shaping the future of the industry by highlighting the crucial role it can play in fostering positive change for our planet and our society.
Eli Goldstein will be present twice for MUTEK 2023:
Keynote: Finding our climate muse: A greener industry for electronic music presented with the support of Earth Percent, as part of the Future Fesivals Initiative
Leon Louder: Letting nature speak
In this work commissioned by the Insectarium de Montréal | Espace pour la vie, composer and electronic musician Leon Louder presents a live performance created entirely from insect sounds.
Exploring the connection between insects and humans, the artist reimagines, distorts and amplifies these samples using a variety of electronic instruments. Through this vibrant ecosystem, the playful, magnetic energy of insect sounds is revealed in eccentric polyrhythms and emotionally engaged harmonic tapestries that explore contrasts between the beautiful and the grotesque, the familiar and the foreign, the dangerous and the delicate.
With this collective experience, the artist hopes to raise awareness of the urgent need to protect not only the world of insects, but all complex, heterogeneous and connected forms of life, perhaps most importantly, the psychic and spiritual life of human beings themselves.
Text by the artist.
Performing as the opening show of the Festival, at Expérience 1 on Tuesday, August 22th on esplanade Tranquille
Celebrating Entomophilia is a series of events presented by the Montréal Insectarium | Espace pour la vie to spread the appreciation of insects. Essential in keeping nature in balance and therefore to our health and well-being, insects become a source of inspiration for creators from various disciplines (gastronomy, visual arts, music, dance, etc.) who then transmit their discoveries, their vision and their enthusiasm to the public.
The need for action is pressing. However, taking action remains within the reach of each and every one of us, in a multitude of ways. This reality is not lost on many artists, who are acting accordingly. Through the various projects presented at MUTEK Montréal, these contemporary works of our time highlight the importance of the environmental question through captivating performances by committed artists.
Words: Grégoire Chevron
English Translation: Lola Baraldi
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