Kyle Alden Martens is standing in front of me in his studio, holding up a short sleeve turtleneck that’s covered in tiny pockets. Each pocket contains a miniature blue teddy bear—the kind you’d get from a coin-operated machine in an arcade when you were a kid. “I’m loosely referencing Operation, the game where you take […]
Lizzy Hill
Posted inArts + Music
Top 10 visual arts happenings of 2015
Lisa Lipton, Hoop Dreams For some, the highlight of Nocturne was sitting on Citadel High’s bleachers buzzed out of our minds watching basketball. But not just any basketball game—Lipton staged a championship series between three fictional teams, bringing together many talented locals to create a multi-disciplinary performance piece, lulling viewers into a trance-like state with […]
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Digital Shrine pays heartwarming homeage to the dead
Sharon Stevens’ Digital Shrine—an interactive installation you can experience at the gates of Camp Hill Cemetery—was sparked by her father’s death. When he died 20 years ago, the funeral and service “did not speak to me, did not ‘hold’ me in a way I could relate to,” recalls Stevens. Digital Shrine explores new and old […]
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Stephen Harper’s war against the arts
“Country roads take me home, to the place I belong, West Alberta, Mountain momma,” belts Stephen Harper, his Kermit The Frog-esque voice going flat when the notes escape him, stage lights dancing off his Lego-like coif, at last year’s Conservative Christmas party. Bopping his chin robotically, he also busts into a nasally rendition of Guns […]
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Akshongay will take your breath away
When watching Akshongay, it’s impossible not to lose your breath a little as Nova Dance’s Nova Bhattacharya and Louis Laberge-Côté flit, as though weightless, together across the floor. The dancers seem to be communicating telepathically with one another as their bodies bend and spring apart in tandem. “We’re bringing contemporary dance that is inspired by […]
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The Sanctified Brothers shake up traditional gospel music
For Wallace Smith, music has always been a fact of life. “I was sort of born into it,” explains Smith, a member of the North Preston soul gospel group The Sanctified Brothers. “I don’t think there’s ever a day that went by in the whole time I’ve been alive that singing hasn’t taken place in […]
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There’s no place like Winter Home
Michael Greyeyes, a renowned artist/dancer/choreographer/actor/director and professor of theatre at York University, explores a Cree family’s experience of the harsh Saskatchewan winters through the decades with his multimedia installation and solo performance Winter Home. Greyeyes—who you’ll likely recognize from his on-screen roles; he’s appeared in everything ranging from Passchendaele to Smoke Signals, Charmed and Law […]
Posted inLifestyle
Five art exhibits to see this summer
Ursula Johnson: Mi’kwite’tmn (“Do You Remember”) This summer, be sure to catch artist Ursula Johnson’s first major touring solo exhibition at Saint Mary’s University, before she embarks on a national tour with the work. In Mi’kwite’tmn, Johnson explores ideas of ancestry, identity and cultural practice. It’s an exhibition that sheds light on the state of […]
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WetSpot
City Council won’t rain on your Pride party plans this year, because the Halifax Regional Council approved a noise-bylaw exemption. That means you can dance your face off this Saturday night to the beats of DJ Motlette—a regular host of Retro Night’s at the Company House—and the genre-bending DJ Jules Bangsworth—a past Pride favourite—until 2am […]
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Oh, America
“License and registration please.” A mountie with a hard beer gut is sauntering towards our car, pen and ticket book in hand. I can tell by the height of his fur beaver hat and purposeful stride that arguing this one is useless—I didn’t even know they gave speeding tickets for $400. That’s like… rent. This […]
Posted inArts + Music
Asteroid turf
Anne Macmillan’s interpretations of the universe blend art and science in Prospect 15. by Lizzy Hill Venturing into Mount Saint Vincent University Art Gallery feels like entering some strange laboratory—artist Anne Macmillan has meticulously arranged numbered sculptures of found rocks on vitrine-like shelves, just as one would display scientific specimens. Though seemingly ordinary, Macmillan’s work […]
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Nocturne’s bedtime story
This Nocturne, our city will become the stomping ground for an assortment of unusual fairtytale-like creatures, including a humanoid fish monster and giant ants. From 6pm until the stroke of midnight this Saturday, artists inspired by the paranormal, the animal kingdom and cryptozoological beasts will temporarily transform Halifax into a strange bedtime tale. And it’s […]