10 Things You Need To Do At Montreal's Underground City Art Festival
Cover photo cred - Yannick Khong
Nuit Blance was only a sample of all the artsy Montreal has to offer. Keeping the city's artistic spirit alive is the Art Souterrain festval. Running from March 7th-15th, Art Souterrain is all about promoting Montreal emerging and established artists and having the public appreciate, interact, and experience their many works. All of it's indoors and underground too, so no worries from the cold front.
There's a lot to do, so we've compiled a choice list of things we know you'll want to check out. Be sure to see the full list of events and learn where everything is being held via the festival map.
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Under Your Skin
When: March 7th, 12pm-6pm
Where: Ruelle des fortifications
Why: Seriously want some ink real bad, but wary about the whole "forever on your skin" thing? Bypass all the commitment with the Under Your Skin event, where professional tattoo artists will be giving temp-tats to anyone and everyone. You could also just use this a testing ground for the tattoo you've been thinking about getting forever.
En Masse For The Masses
When: March 16th, 12pm-5pm
Where: Eaton Center (hallway towards Place Montreal Trust)
Why: Here's one for all the graffiti lovers, aka everyone. With paint can in hand, you can draw side by side with the En Masse collective and create some sexy murals right inside the Eatons Center. A DJ will be on site to provide musical inspiration, so this is looking to be a legit art-party.
Urban Improvisation w/Audiotopie
When: March 9th, 2pm-5pm
Where: Complexe Desjardin (in front of Laitue & Go)
Why: Even if you're not a singer, this is your chance to be part of an urban symphony of sounds. Audiotopie will be taking sounds from the city and allow you to join in, add, improvise, and help make an original track.
The Snapshot Project
When: March 3rd-16th, 7pm-10pm
Where: All over
Why: Document your own personal perspective of the city and the art exhibition as you search through the underground and take photos with randomly placed disposable cameras. Snap a pick, put the camera back wherever you got it (so others can participate), and at the end of the festival, you'll be part of a city-made photo album
Art Cocktail
When: March 3rd-March 4th (excluding Sat & Sun)
Where: In front of the Couche-Tard by Place d'Armes metro
Why: Drinking wine while talking about art sounds like something straight out of Frasier, and something too fancy for you to ever do. Now's your chance to up your class level (or at least pretend to be cultured) with a guided tour of the festival, with drinks afterwards. Alcohol and art, a match made in heaven.
Fruity Taxidermy w/Visual Voice Lab
When: March 8th, 1pm-4pm
Where: Place des Arts
Why: Who knew you could be a vegetarian taxidermist? Visual Voice Lab will be hosting a workshop on just that, using taxidermy skills on edible fruits. You won't be stuffing any cats, which is a plus, but you'll be learning how you 'could,' you know, if you want.
Une Fenetre Sous La Terre
When: March 15th, 12am-6pm
Where: Palais des Congres
Why: Here's one for all the selfie-lovers and Instagram users. A portable #MTLMoments frame will be given out for you to use and go take photos of you and your friends in front of art pieces throughout the underground. You can then tag the festival and the featured building and artwork, and see which art pieces the whole city is snapping pics of.
Tom Pnini's Volcano Demo
When: Ongoing
Where: Complexe Les Ailes
Why: Tom Pnini built a giant 2-dimensional volcano on a four story building in Tel-Aviv, and using the magic of film, made the whole thing look real-life and 3d. Check out a mind-fuck of videography, and check out Pnini's Snow Demo as well!
Catherine Dong's The Other Words
When: March 15th, 1pm-4pm
Where: Palais des Congres
Why: Translation and language are always a relevant topic in Montreal, and in The Other Words artist Catherine Dong explores the interpretation and reception of translated messages. Dong is using only mannequins and a bowl of rice, so this is definitely going to be an interesting performance piece.
Emerging Artist Portfolio Review
When: March 7th, 7pm-9:30pm (doors at 6:30)
Where: 2200 Crescent
Why: Art Souterrain is featuring scores of emerging artist, and this event will take five of the best and present their portfolios to the public. As a spectator, you will be able to actively participate in a critique of these artist's work, and even be able to ask them questions yourself. So if you really don't get a piece, or think the artist is straight up cray, you can ask/tell them in person.
