WORK FROM NOWHERE WORK FOR NO ONE at Pith Gallery

Catch up on Friday’s Gossip Part 1.

After Stride, the crowd trickled over to Pith Gallery on 9th Ave SE, where Wednesday Lupypciw was showing WORK FROM NOWHERE WORK FOR NO ONE.

Eduardo Oramas & David Frankovich watch Lupypciw set fire to her loom.

Downstairs in the gallery, viewers watched three loops of Lupypciw dowsing her loom with gasoline then lighting it on fire. Two projections showed the scene from wide angles, while a large television on the floor crackled with a close-up of the flames.

Wednesday Lupypciw (far right) with fans.

Upstairs the last party of the festival was raucous and crowded. Two DJs spun at the top of the stairs. A room labelled “Lupypciw Family Denim” held a tiny tv dripping with honey. The two bartenders appeared to be located in a closet.

Bojana Videkovic and Nahed Mansour spotted out of costume for the first time!

At the end of the night, artists who couldn’t get enough headed to the HiFi Club. Sources say Eduardo Oramas was seen stumbling home at nearly 4am.

Eduardo Oramas & Vicki Chau eat pop rocks.

On Wednesday evening at John Snow House, Andy Paterson gave a performative lecture on the history and archives of The New Gallery. It was well-attended by both artists and fans of local history, including ACAD instructor Shelley Ouellet and newly-arrived festival artists Nahed Mansour and Bojana Videkanic.

After the lecture, several artists stuck around drinking beer and discussing the festival. including Artistic Director Tomas Jonsson (who sat across from Paterson, giggling conspiratorially), New Gallery Administrative Director Su Strang, and JSH Director Kaylin Pearce.

After holding forth about the work of John Greyson and his fascination with squirrels, Andy listed a few of the videos his white lab coat had been featured in, including works by Greyson, Keith Cole, and a protest by AIDS Action Now.

Andy Paterson reading a poem, signed by one “K. Burns”, that he found in the New Gallery’s archives at John Snow House.

Allison, Oramas, & Brown

A number of artists in this year’s festival have used latex balloons in performance. Emily Promise Allison conducted a balloon orchestra during the Performance Cabaret at the SAAG, directing the onlookers in timed blowing, squeaking and farting. On Tuesday, Eduardo Oramas of Columbia thrilled the audience at Truck with athletic and jumping and popping. TouVA Offspring Rosemary Brown rolled a circus-coloured bin of balloons into the gallery and got the giggling audience to bat them around.