The Gladstone Hotel and a group of local artists explore Nature vs. Culture in their curated installation, upArt. We speak with a few of the artists participating in this year’s edition.
Artists Magda Wojtyra and Marc Ngui (aka Happy Sleepy) collaborate on flamboyant paintings, textile art, animation and soft toys (to name just a few). In 2005, the long-time couple gave up their possessions in favour of a nomadic lifestyle as art project, entitled Internet on the Beach.
Describe the work you’re exhibiting as part of upArt in one sentence.
The Reef is an installation of textile art and painted paper sculptures in which a large three-dimensional quilt, called Polytopia, forms a “coral” nursery for dozens of highly stylized “fish” that hang in front, called Geoms.
How does it address or examine our relationship with nature?
We’ve used the image of the reef as a symbol of a complex community in balance. A coral reef is a like a city where the structure itself is alive and provides the foundation for a very diverse ecosystem. This is an excellent model for how cities might be re-thought as our culture attempts to make itself sustainable.
Describe your process.
Go here to get a glimpse of the process work behind The Reef.
Favorite Canadian contemporary artist(s)?
Sandy Plotnikoff, particularly his work with foil. His description of his own practice and approach made it clear to both of us what contemporary art is.
Describe your first visit to the Gladstone Hotel.
Marc: My first visit to the Gladstone Hotel was for a CanZine meeting. It was the first time CanZine was being held at the Gladstone.
Magda: My first visit was also the same time as Marc’s but I was exhibiting an installation. We made a lot of money on 50 cent posters. There was no glass in a lot of the windows so it was really cold. This was before the Gladstone underwent renovations.
What’s next?
We have another show coming up in January at the Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery
(Previous work: "Tandem Flight", an audience participatory video project first shown at the Gladstone Hotel for Nuit Blanche on Oct. 2, 2010)
