A man walks into a bar... and decides to write a story about it.
Then he decides to add his stories with a friends stories and publish a book about drinking. Together they create an art exhibit using the maps that illustrate where those drinking stories took place. They pour a drink for the people who come to the art gallery and turn the conversation into a new drinking story.
To cap it all off, they corral some of their artistic friends to use those maps to guide people on walking tours of those places.
Welcome to Walking Projects: Vancouver, crawling, weeping, betting.
A joint venture between Battery Opera and Unit/Pitt Projects, its name should be enough to suggest it defies an easy description.
It started as a project between Chris Bose, a writer, artist, musician, filmmaker and scoundrel, and David McIntosh, a writer, singer, state-funded-artist and sommelier.
Chris and I had the idea of writing drinking stories, McIntosh says. (Thats about as simple as the concept is going to seem from here on in.)
McIntoshs parents met at the Waldorf Hotel; Boses parents met at a residential school in Lytton. Each of them has written stories that centre around experiences that involve, good and bad, alcohol. The stories are being compiled into a book which will (probably) be called Vancouver, crawling, weeping, betting. The maps that Bose has drawn to illustrate those stories form the basis of the art-on-the-wall exhibit at Unit/Pitt Projects (formerly the Helen Pitt Gallery at 236 East Pender.)
Alcohol has historically been a crucial element to the creation and liveability of all cities in North America, McIntosh says, adding that, personally, alcohol has been a huge part of our family narrative.
Theres alcohol as a lubricant, the WD40 of sticky social situations. Theres alcohol as a spirit, as in adding spirit to a conversation or social gathering. Alcohol helps us shake off our inhibitions and be more open to forging new connections. It anaesthetizes us, dulls our pain or social awkwardness. We get together for a drink after work. The betting part of the shows title is how alcohol can make us feel more hopeful about the future. Its aspirational. Artists and writers have been known to use alcohol as the on-switch for their creativity.
And then theres the dark side. The fear of what happens when its not just social, not just something we do for fun, when we are in alcohols grip rather than vice versa.
Were kidding ourselves if we dont acknowledge its the biggest drug in our midst, says McIntosh. Were using it for some reason. Im just interested in it.
The show runs from January 17 to March 1. As part of the show, every Thursday night a guest artist will project images inspired by the show onto the gallerys windows for witching hour solos from 11:30pm to 12:30am.
Every Friday night theyre hosting Bobs Salon, where McIntosh will pour drinks for curious imbibers who are encouraged to take part in an interactive art salon. A guest story teller will tell a story about a journey, sex , death, siblings, animals... plus Vancouver, he says. People can interact with whats in the gallery and create a response of their own. Its from 10pm to midnight.)
On Saturdays from 12 to 5pm, local performers will lead groups of tours that embody the stories in the book on a first come, first tour basis.
Its all free.
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