Photo by Gerry Lauzon Cracks in the fatality of austerity are quickly spreading outward on the streets in Montréal. Thousands and thousands are actively joining a growing grassroots protest movement that is bold, broad and powerful. Today’s massive demonstration is a public illustration of a grassroots movement in motion, one
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Canadian Dimension | Articles: Cooperatives on stolen land?
Subscribe to our e-newsletter HERE. Below is an interview with Jarrett Martineau, recorded while walking on the streets in Toronto in late March, 2014 and now published online with Canadian Dimension. This interview is included in the latest print edition of Free City Radio, a seasonal zine publication extending from
Continue readingArt Threat: Ian Kamau: artistic reflections on city life
Ian Kamau is a Toronto based artist performing in Montreal for the Suoni per il Popolo festival at a concert organized by Howl!. Kamau is a key underground hip-hop artist creating today in Canada. This interview focuses on Kamau’s approach and specifically on the Traffic, a soul track from his
Continue readingArt Threat: Free mp3 from Montreal’s Léopard et moi
Today, Art Threat presents a track by the Montreal band Léopard et moi in the lead up to the sixth edition of the Howl! concert series in Montreal. Rooted in the Québécois underground music scene in Montreal, Léopard et moi was involved in the foundation of the celebrated La Brique
Continue readingArt Threat: Punk rock video conveys the energy of Quebec’s Carré rouge
A Montreal punk rock band recently released “>Carré rouge, a fast-paced music video inspired by classic punk sounds, and carried by collective chants from the massive street demonstrations sparked by the historic Quebec student strike. “Loi spéciale, refusé! À qui la rue? À nous la rue! Carré rouge! Carré rouge!
Continue readingArt Threat: Sonic solidarity for Ziba Kazemi – An interview with Iranian artist Shahrzad Arshadi
Portrait of artist Shahrzad Arshadi by Thien V (Montreal, March 2012). It Is Only Sound That Remains is a sound theatre performance by artist Shahrzad Arshadi, meditating on the life and death of Ziba Kazemi, also known as Zahra Kazemi. The story of Kazemi’s 2003 death in Iran, the ensuing
Continue readingArt Threat: Blackitude by Vox Sambou evokes the power of resistance
Today we bring you Blackitude, a new music video from Montreal hip-hop artist Vox Sambou, filmed in Batey San Luis in the Dominican Republic by Ariel Mota. This latest video builds on a trajectory of socially conscious, contemporary hip-hop that has established Sambou as a key figure on the progressive
Continue readingArt Threat: Nicolás de Jesús inks anti-colonial history
Artist Nicolás de Jesús creates intricate visual narratives, reflecting Mexico’s indigenous cultures and vibrant social justice movements. In paintings, ink drawings and etchings, handmade works by de Jesús are printed on traditional papel amate, a pre-colonial indigenous paper that has seen a revival in recent years. Through his striking ink
Continue readingArt Threat: Is Enbridge using art to greenwash the Northern Gateway?
Enbridge Landscape, an illustration by Harpy. Protests voicing opposition to the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipelines Project are quickly expanding. Public hearings on the controversial tar sands oil transport route — attracting hundreds of participants on the first day and igniting incendiary statements by Conservative politicians — provide evidence that political
Continue readingArt Threat: Artists remember homeless man killed by Montreal police
On a cold winter day in Montreal this past Friday, January 6, police bullets took the life of Farshad Mohammadi, a Kurdish refugee from Iran who arrived in Canada seeking security and protection. Farshad was inside the métro seeking warmth, homeless in a city and country that failed to provide
Continue readingArt Threat: Art and inspiration meet on Montreal streets
J. R. Carpenter. Entre Ville. as appeared in Four Minutes to Midnight A text originally published in edition twelve of Four Minutes to Midnight, launched in November at Expozine in Montreal. Ideas expressed in this article largely are linked to and inspire the work of the Howl! arts collective in
Continue readingArt Threat: Volkswagen bends to critique, pulls sexist ad
Still from the Volkswagen Passat television ad in question. Volkswagen Canada has pulled the 2011 Passat TV ad “It pretty much sells itself” from its official YouTube channel and from TV rotation, including a prominent pre-roll spot on CBC News. Judging from Volkswagen Canada’s official Twitter account, the decision to
Continue readingArt Threat: Why is CBC running sexist Volkswagen ads?
A sexist Volkswagen ad speaks to the dangers of North America’s corporate car culture. (Illustration by Coco Riot.) Over recent weeks, viewing news updates at CBC online has become increasingly frustrating, due to a high-rotation, pre-roll spot given to an intensely sexist Volkswagen Canada ad for the 2012 Passat, which
Continue readingArt Threat: Understanding the Crash illustrates resistance to capitalism
Graphic novel Understanding the Crash features stories of struggles against speculative economics are skillfully outlined. From the Miami housing market bubble burst that ignited housing rights struggles, to community struggles for affordable housing in Cleveland, the book etches a detailed picture of a corrupt economic system and stories on grassroots organizing for change.
Continue readingArt Threat: Howl! live recording 2 – Monday Music Pick: Download two free tracks from experimental guitarist Nick Kuepfer
Art Threat presents two live recordings featuring musician Nick Kuepfer performing at Howl! in March 2011.
Continue readingArt Threat: New Orleans and the culture of resistance – Interview with Floodlines author Jordan Flaherty
Over five years since the catastrophe of hurricane Katrina, communities in New Orleans are still struggling to rebuild and return. Shocking images of Katrina broadcast globally continue to communicate the growing economic, social and racial fault lines in America. Beyond the headlines, community organizing and resistance to post-Katrina economic shock treatment of key public institutions, […]
Continue readingArt Threat: Paint and piano reflect Mideast resistance – Uprising by Sundus Abdul Hadi & Stefan Christoff
Uprising is a mixed-media painting by Sundus Abdul Hadi in collaboration with her sister Tamara Abdul Hadi’s photography, in which her flying figures grace the work. Visuals go hand in hand with Stefan Christoff’s piano composition.
Continue readingArt Threat: Monday Music: Duet for Abdelrazik – MP3 features cellist Rebecca Foon and Stefan Christoff on piano
We invite you to download this exclusive duet performance featuring celebrated cellist Rebecca Foon and pianist, community activist and Art Threat contributor Stefan Christoff.
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