The POWELL STREET FESTIVAL SOCIETY presents
SPATIAL POETICS VIII
Saturday, September 19th, 2009 with performances at 7:00pm along streets of Japantown, and at 8:30pm at Vancouver Japanese Language School (487 Alexander Street)
Featuring premieres of collaborative pieces by SHIMA IUCHI & JEAN ROUTHIER, MARK SOO & JOHN KORSRUD
(with musicians Evan Arntzen, Saul Berson, Michael Braverman, Bruce Freedman, Graham Ord, and Bill Runge)
Powell Street Festival Society presents the eighth annual Spatial Poetics, an interdisciplinary event that celebrates collaboration, experimentation and innovation. This year’s end result is a collection of 2 new works that explore ideas of memory, space, community, and dialogue by emerging and established Asian Canadian artists and collaborators. Spatial Poetics VIII combines works by partnered artists, Shima Iuchi and Jean Routhier, and Mark Soo and John Korsrud. Elaborating upon the Festival theme of Migration, this edition of Spatial Poetics’ artists engage with new and experimental locales, including the streetscape of Japantown and a rooftop location overlooking the docks of Vancouver. Iuchi and Routhier present a video and audio work, while Soo and Korsrud present a conceptual musical performance in the Downtown Eastside. Exploring the literal and virtual migration between spaces and dialogue, Iuchi, Routhier, Soo and Korsrud provide new perspectives of familiar landscapes. Given that the Powell Street Festival relocated in August 2009 outside of our normal home in Oppenheimer Park, this is an opportunity to explore the Japantown neighborhood under a different premise.
Kamloops-based visual artist Shima Iuchi and Vancouver sound designer Jean Routhier present a video/audio based installation piece that explores ideas of memory and communication. Tracing the vocal and migratory patterns of transient orca whales, the artists speak to the duality of dislocation and communion that embodies cultural and linguistic migrations. ** Local visual artist Mark Soo and musical director and composer John Korsrud present a conceptual piece of a sonic line drawing. 6 saxophonists pass a musical phrase from one to the other, capturing, losing and reconstructing from memory the musical phrase. The resulting acoustic line bisects and bridges imaginary and concrete spaces through this historic and fragmented area.
On Saturday, September 19th, we encourage you to view the performance and installation back-to-back. Performances will first take place along the streets of Japantown and later in the 5th floor of the Vancouver Japanese Language School. Check the PSF website for updates and locations.
This is the final festival event for the 33rd Annual Powell Street Festival. More information at www.powellstreetfestival.com
Media contact: Kristen @ 604.683.8240 or gm@powellstreetfestival.com
The Powell Street Festival Society gratefully acknowledges the financial assistance of the City of Vancouver Great Beginnings Program, Canada Council for the Arts, Department of Canadian Heritage, and Province of BC through British Columbia Arts Council.
