September 2018 by The Newspaper

the newspaper University of Torontoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s independent community paper

Since 1978

Volume XLI September

Issue II 27th 2018

Masthead

Cover Jacob Himmelhoch

the newspaper University of Toronto’s independent community paper since 1978 Editor-In-Chief Rel Ryann Managing Editor Judy Hu Senior Copy Editor Olivia Anderson-Clarke News Editor Carsten von Wersebe Comment Editor Manjiri Deshpande Arts Editors Renna Keriazes & Frida Mar Music Editor Ben Cannon Illustration Editor Jacob Himmelhoch Web Editor Zeynel Akkus Web Developer Dania Ismadi Contributors Olivia Anderson-Clarke, Nina Anggala, Laura Findlay, Jaylin Kim, Vikram Nijhawan, Olive Nugent, Sonia Scarlat, Students For Choice-UofT, Carsten von Wersebe All U of T community members, including students, alumni, faculty, and staff are encouraged to contribute! The Newspaper is published by Planet Publications Inc., a non-profit corporation

thenewspaper.ca

we used to have an office address here but UofT evicted us to build a new faculty and then the Student Commons suddenly rescinded their offer of a new space for us despite years of us discussing it and yeah we’re still salty about it

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Providing Options In the Face of Anti-Choice Activity On Campus Students For Choice-UofT tackles a recent rise in ‘pro-life’ scare tactics on St. George campus STUDENTS FOR CHOICE-UOFT | Contributors What are your rights as a student? As a person? At UofT St. George, these questions have become as much a part of Orientation as its advertised programming. This year’s Week of Welcome was the second in a row during which anti-choice activity disrupted numerous events, such as the annual Clubs Carnival, the tri-campus parade and the following week’s Street Festival. It’s an unfortunate reality that many students have come to expect on campus, and this is what spurred Students For Choice (SFC-UofT) to mobilize over the summer. After confirming a return of graphic imagery throughout the first week of Orientation, SFC-UofT planned a counter-demonstration: organizers and passers-by distributed over two hundred fliers, obscured banners and signs, and engaged concerned community members for as long as anti-choice activity stretched on that day. Since then, numerous students have approached us about getting involved so that they can learn how to handle anti-choicers on campus. The Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada has noted that the primary tactic of anti-choice groups is to stigmatize reproductive rights and the exercising of them, often through the spreading of misinformation, and often by using extremely triggering imagery. The strategic propaganda of anti-choice organizations on campus is false and misogynistic. They perpetuate a toxic atmosphere for those who have the right to exercise control over their bodies and their actions need to stop. Driven by personal and religious stances, groups like Students For Life deny the validity of differing perspectives on when ‘life’ begins, opting instead to insist that this coincides with conception and that abortion at any stage of a pregnancy equates to murder.

What is Students For Choice-UofT? As part of the broader pro-choice movement we seek to protect the right to reproductive self-determination. Members of SFC-UofT believe that every person should be able to access the social, material, legal and political supports necessary for making informed decisions about their own body and health, which includes the decision to have or to not have an abortion. This is why our current primary goal is to help organize counter-protests for as long as abortion stigma is perpetuated in our community. Moving forward, we want to contribute to the creation of a pro-choice network both online and offline that can effectively share resources and help others quickly counter or avoid anti-choice activity. Other points in our emerging mandate include prioritizing intersectional, inclusive and self-critical politics; building relationships between like-minded organizations; and lobbying entities within the University to hold anti-choice student groups more accountable.

For more information and to get involved, email us at studentsforchoicetoronto@gmail.com and find us on Facebook at facebook.com/uoftstudentsforchoice.

Students For Choice activists cover a graphic sign that claims to show an aborted fetus at 10 weeks, University of Toronto’s annual Street Festival. Photo by Students For Choice-UofT

the interview

The Newspaper Interviews:

Tia Brazda We got a chance to sit down with the contemporary jazz vocalist and ask for her opinion on the state of jazz

N: What inspired the shift in energy between your last album Bandshell and Daydream?

OLIVIA ANDERSON-CLARKE | Senior Copy Editor

This album is probably the most chill album I’ve done to date. I always strive to make albums I would buy, or download, [laughs] and this was where I was at, my mood is more chill. That energy shift is definitely very thoughtful. I was thinking about where I was from, where I was at in my life, who my friends were, [and] what was important to me. I feel like that came through in the subject matter. Like “Right on Time” for example. That’s all about telling people that it doesn’t matter if you’re 60 or 65—where you are right now versus where you think you should be or where your self-expectations are—let that stuff go. You’re right where you need to be. Sometimes life is winding, so you just have to go with it. You’re right on time. That’s the idea of it.

Contemporary jazz singer Tia Brazda just released her third album, Daydream, earlier this September. Brazda, born in New Westminster, British Columbia, debuted this album at #1 on the iTunes jazz chart while her previous album Bandshell remained in the top 10. After a delightful concert, Brazda sat down for an interview with The Newspaper to discuss her career and the state of modern jazz. N: What drew you to jazz and what are your jazz influences? T: I first started listening to jazz more when I was in high school and my teacher heard my voice and was like, “you should be singing jazz so here’s this CD”. This has happened to me a lot in my life, people have identified my voice with a jazz singer long before I was actually singing jazz [laughs]. I was finally like, “Okay! I’ll do the jazz!” I really fell in love with it. Ella Fitzgerald especially. Her voice is so precise and lovely. Billie Holiday - I love her grittiness; I love her authenticity. When she says a word, you believe it, you know. And their backstories too were so inspiring to me. If you read the biographies of Billie Holiday like wow—her life was unreal.

T: My goal is to always grow as an artist, so I wanted to try some different things this time. I wanted to experiment with new sounds I hadn’t tried before and I wanted to sort of—I would say that my albums have gotten progressively more… Yeah I don’t know. My first album was super hyper. “Cabin Fever” is like, “Man Up!”, it’s just really hyper and then my next album after that, Bandshell, was still moderate.

N: Our next question is drawn from La La Land because there’s the famous quote that “Jazz is dead”. Classical jazz isn’t as popular with younger generations, as they aren’t exposed to it with many believing that the genre has been dead for quite some time. Do you think jazz is dead and, if not, what is contemporary jazz?

T: It is different for sure. I think contemporary jazz is what I’m doing. I was intimidated at first with jazz. Before I got into jazz, I thought it was all a different type of jazz. I didn’t know that it was something I liked until I was in high school and discovered it. But basically, I feel like every generation has to take [jazz] and make it their own. People who are more old fashioned may not like that, and that’s fine. We need to take it into our own hands and do what we want to do with it. I don’t think it’s dead at all. I think it’s constantly evolving. It’s funny that you mentioned La La Land. I was really excited when I saw that movie was coming out because I thought, “Oh it’s presenting jazz to a mainstream audience, like swing dancing.” And the solo in “Moondust Baby” was inspired by La La Land. If you listen to the album, it’s super synthy and you know when he gets up and does the solo in the movie and the guy’s like ‘what is that?’ We sort of were inspired by that so we wanted to something fun. N: What’s the best advice you can give to young aspiring jazz artists? T: Go out and meet people. Know the standards, and always bring your charts in your key to the jam. [laughs] Show up at the jams. You won’t get as far as you could when you’re just sitting in your res. You could be the most amazing singer in the world, but if you’re hiding in your residence room then you’re not going to get out there. You need to go and look. You can Google ‘open jazz jams’, places like The Rex in Toronto. There’s actually a Ladies’ Night Out—Girls’ Night Out which is hosted by Lisa Particelli. That’s a jazz jam for young women. You don’t have to be professional by any means, you can just come and sing a song. Show up, know the standards, look up the standards if you don’t know what they are, and then learn them—at least 10. Bring your charts, and then imitate [jazz singers] before you. Imitation is a great way to learn. Eventually you’ll find your own voice too. N: What do you think are the jazz essentials? T: I would say “Summertime” [by George Gershwin] is an essential. I like “Caravan” [by Duke Ellington]. I find it kind of edgy. But you know what I really like? Cole Porter’s “I Get a Kick Out of You”. If you listen to the old songs, there’s some innuendos to look for and some pretty blatant badass stuff that’s in there.

Through the Framing Glass A first year U of T student approaches contemporary art for the first time. OLIVE NUGENT | Contributor

I should preface this by saying that I am in no way a connoisseur of contemporary art. While its outward eclecticism and mystique had always evoked some curiosity, I generally found the high-brow, low-concept installations that fill Toronto’s boutique galleries as confusing and alienating as the insular communities that pop up around them. It came as a pleasant surprise, then, when one Saturday, I took advantage of Gallery Day Toronto’s series of free exhibits and associated talks and found them not only inspired and thought-provoking, but also that they made the experience of contemporary art far more accessible and satisfying for me than it had ever been. While the content was complex enough to bring out more seasoned visitors, the guided experience courtesy of the editors at Canadian Art ensured that everyone got as much as possible out of each exhibit, no matter their level of comfort of expertise.

The day was structured in a way that lent itself to casual participation; beyond just being free, the shows, presented in clusters of three, were not only within walking distance of each other but also non-sequential. This meant visitors could opt in and out of shows based on their interests and schedule. The trio I got to see, featuring Tiziana La Melia’s Pet Parasite, Anne Low and Evan Calder Williams’s A Fine Thread of Deviation, and Cut Up The World by the late Hudinilson Jr., were strikingly different in tone and structure, ranging from ethereal suspensions of mussel shells in resin to fragmented historical footage projected on silk to grainy, sensual prints of the artist’s Xeroxed body. As the basis for this little crash course, then, the organizers’ selections offered a wealth of features to analyze. The talks themselves were thoughtfully crafted and exhaustively researched by the editors at Canadian Art, walked visitors through each exhibit by selecting a handful of pieces they felt were the most interesting and providing relevant info on their historical context and personal relation to the artist. The technical features of each work and space were pointed out and explained, before the critic finally shared some of their own insight and encouraged us to consider certain elements and ideas. For instance, in the first exhibit, the speaker noted how the room’s saccharine peachy floor, matte white walls and security mirrors allowed the space to envelop its visitors in a surreal sense of safety and lightness; in the

Tiziana La Melia, Pet Parasite at Franz Kaka Toronto, ON. Photos by Laura Findlay.

second, how a step made to get up into a luxurious, oversized bed, following a film mosaic of striking silk weavers could crystallize the divide between them and their opulent managers; in the third, whether the violations of dignity and person so many LGBTQ+ people face daily might give them greater insight into the mentality of dictatorship. As the speakers took questions and led the group in discussion, their lectures quickly evolved into conversations with visitors, whose comments I found as stimulating or more than the editors’ prepared remarks. The informality of it, the organic way their insights built off each other, brought the exhibits alive. What would otherwise be hushed, serious, and private discussions in a normal gallery setting were raised to full, dynamic volume and exuded a contagious enthusiasm. Frankly, I’m still not sure how I feel about art that requires so much mediation and explanation by experts for casual observers to fully appreciate it. This experience, while rewarding, felt considerably more detached for me than that of walking into a gallery and being able to think and feel organically, entirely for myself. But I do know that, if you’re going to engage with it at all, and more importantly hone your own interpretive skills, this guided setup is a great place to start and is much more fruitful than staring blankly at an oyster-studded block of resin for ten minutes before moving on in defeat. To have the murmured musings of the usual crowd brought into the public sphere, to be given the tools to engage with their ideas and encouraged to join in, makes the whole experience much more enjoyable and begins to lift the veil of naccessibility that has made so many wary of contemporary art for so long.

A. Human, A Hypocrisy NINA ANGGALA | Contributor

There is a feeling of equal parts horror and wonder when you walk past a mannequin only to realize that it’s breathing. It is a performance artist, trained to stand still for hours - human, like you and me, but also more than. Adorned with prosthetic jewelry jutting out from their bodies, such as a skin-like ruffled collar, “The Tudor”, and blue shoulder horns, “Pinnacle”, they form part of the art installation A. Human. Part immersive theater experience, part flagship store, A. Human debuted in this year’s New York Fashion Week, the latest and greatest in science-fiction-esque haute couture. “If you could change your body as easily as you could change your clothes,” the exhibition and its creator Simon Huck ask, “would you?” It’s not that body modification is a novel idea; plastic surgery abounds in Hollywood and the WASPs of Oakville Lakeshore. This is different, or so its creators claim, in that it’s a rebellion against non-conformism; a vision of a brighter, weirder future. They call it The A. Huxley Label.

The actual Aldous Huxley was the author of Brave New World, a dystopian written in the aftermath of World War I as a satirical criticism of Huxley’s contemporaries in science fiction and their unrealistic visions of utopia. More than that, it was a scathing attack on Fordism, an economic model characterized by mass production and credited with the birth of New Capitalism. Think omniscient consumerism and you have Fordism. With that in mind, it strikes me as particularly ironic that the exhibit was advertised on the instagram pages of celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Chrissy Teigen. (Simon Huck, for those who are unfamiliar, is the owner of Command PR, close friend to Kim’s BFF Jonathan Cheban and an occasional guest on Keeping Up With the Kardashians.) For an entry fee of only forty dollars, clients and showgoers can walk the halls of A. Human, browse through the prosthetic jewelry exhibited on human mannequins (sometimes buried up to their necks in soil) and actual mannequins (cue dismembered legs with heel implants), and look just like Kim. After all, the dark side to the prosperity Fordism promised, a theme that A. Huxley explores extensively, is a philosophy of homogeneity. Citizens of Huxley’s dystopian World State are born in a production line, subjected to sleep hypnosis throughout their lives, and encouraged to live in a permanent state of bliss via euphoria-inducing drugs, with some

s e i d o b n a m u H to n i d e m r o f s n a tr , s i s e s a c y a l disp simply put, n o i t a c i f i t c e j b o parading as a t a h t n o i t u l o v e r you can take selfies with. very dirty side effects. The structure of their society is eusocial (best exemplified in the hierarchical structure of honeybees) and relies on a predetermined caste system, wherein members of the lower castes are genetically modified to stunt mental and physical growth. I can’t help but wonder what Aldous would think of A. Human.

Jaylin Kim

On one hand, A. Human seems to fly in the face of all the powers Huxley denounced. It’s not just jewelry. There is a vision here that could believably fit into the worlds of ancient mythologies or alien races alike.

An immersive art exhibit’s vision of a brave new world is less innovative than exploitative. “I didn’t want to create a utopian world, but I definitely wanted to create a world that was optimistic or, at the bare minimum, neutral,” Huck says. “We wanted to use the future of fashion and the future of self-expression as a way to look at the future. That is how the ethos of A. Human formed.” Body modification rooted in the ideal of self-exploration rather than self-improvement is an intriguing prospect. It’s so attractive and yet so personally unimaginable. What steps do we take, as a society, to unravel all the structures that push towards conformity? Therein lies the crux of A. Human’s hypocrisy. The exhibit offers a peek at a hopeful future, without ever offering a way to get there. (That in itself would make Huxley turn in his grave.) There already exists a subculture of extreme body modification in the interest of self-expression, but its members are treated as eccentricities. Between them, outliers from mainstream society’s parameters for “normal”, and mass acceptance lies a seemingly impassable chasm. From what I can see, the only bridge Simon Huck and his team offer to cross that gap is to make body modification the newest trend, trickling all the way down from the highest echelons of NYFW to fast fashion. Rather than overcoming divides, this system would redefine those divisions—either way, someone gets pushed to the margins. As extreme as the World State seems to first-time readers, there are recognizable societal patterns that I can’t help but see reflected in the ethos that A. Human embodies. Only the privileged are able to achieve any of the, ultimately vapid, self-actualization that is promised to everybody. The nature of the prosthetics themselves is telling: expensive and temporary, they can be seen, but only touched by those with enough disposable income to buy the jewelry and throw it away once it no longer holds together. A. Human isn’t just a confirmation of the fears Aldous Huxley brought to life in the pages of his magnum opus either. It’s also an incarnation of the most disturbing aspects of The World State. Freedom and acceptance are the values that A. Human claims, but there is something distinctly inhuman about models buried up to the neck in soil and disembodied limbs. The exhibit even features a “Pump Room” where a beating heart is suspended in a glass box. It reeks of exploitation. Human bodies transformed into display cases is, simply put, objectification parading as a revolution that you can take selfies with. Mass media’s tendency to turn those we see as unusual into spectacles is what drives the horrific end of Brave New World. A. Human, whatever else it claims, is no different. And in using Kim Kardashian’s influence, among other celebrities, which was built on a culture of consumerism and homogeneity, as promotion, they have undermined everything Huxley’s name stands for. That being said, A. Human is unquestionably beautiful. Fashion has always stood at the intersection of art and social influence, and in this A. Human stands at the forefront of avant-garde trends. But all great fashion moments offer something deeper. A. Human falls short of that mark. Whatever powerful statement they hoped to make has, unfortunately if not unsurprisingly, been lost in its hypocrisies.

the apprehension

Has Populism Infiltrated Canadian Politics? Bernier’s new party is an enigma that could rattle federal politics as we head into the 2019 election. CARSTEN VON WERSEBE | News Editor

There’s now a new political party in Canada that has the potential to seriously influence next year’s federal election: the People’s Party of Canada (PPC). Founded by former Conservative Party leadership candidate and cabinet minister Maxime Bernier on September 14, the new right-wing party hopes to be a major player in the upcoming 2019 federal election. Maxime Bernier, a staunch libertarian, barely lost the Conservative Party leadership race to Andrew Scheer over a year ago. The defeat led Bernier to become more and more alienated from the Conservative Party until, after much foreshadowing, he left the Party to form his own—the PPC.

Avatar: The First of Many Cash-Grabs Netflix plans on readapting the beloved series. But is it worth it? VIKRAM NIJHAWAN | Contributor

As a lover of many other fantasy franchises, it’s surprising that I only discovered Avatar: the Last Airbender this past summer. I had always been aware of the series, which enjoyed an avid following among a niche audience, but my only previous experience with it—as with many other “normies”—was the abysmal 2010 live-action film. Eight years later, and lo and behold, the entire three season run is available on Netflix. I decided to sample the first episode, and immediately found myself enraptured by the series. The story of Aang is the prototypical hero’s journey, where a young boy and “chosen one” must embrace

Bernier has stated that the Conservative Party is too morally defunct to be fixed. He claims that he doesn’t need polling to see what values he should support, unlike the Conservatives. “For me, I don’t need to do any polling,” Bernier says on TVO’s The Agenda. “It’s our values—and people who like it, perfect, they are welcome.” He has stated many times that he isn’t trying to please everyone, which he claims the other three major parties consistently do. The PPC can be considered, for the moment at least, a one-man show. Not only has the Party been founded and headed solely by Bernier thus far, its platform is also identical to the one he ran on during the race for leadership of the Conservative Party. Some of its main policies involve shrinking government, reducing immigration, and forging a more Canadian-centric foreign policy. From this brief outline, you may already be forming connections between the PPC and similar populist parties in Europe. Over the past few years, a surge of European populist parties such as the Freedom Party of Austria and the now infamous Alternative for Germany (AFD) have gained prominence—enough so that many have begun to pose a threat to the dominant parties across the continent. The comparison between the People’s Party of Canada and its populist European counterparts should not be exaggerated, however; the Party’s platform is more moderate than many of those in Europe. The AFD, for instance, has put forth explicit anti-Islamic rhetoric and advocated for police to “shoot at migrants” if necessary. The same virulent anti-immigrant and refugee rhetoric can be seen in many other far-right parties across the continent. The People’s Party of Canada hasn’t yet advocated for anything so extreme. Despite wanting to limit immigration, Bernier’s party isn’t against it entirely— though its platform does propose reducing the number of immigrants coming in to Canada from 300,000 to 250,000 a year.

his destiny and bring balance to a world at war. That concept on its own would be enough to engage most viewers, but it’s a testament to the writing of Avatar that the protagonist is far more than a Luke Skywalker stand-in. Aang, along with every other main character, undergo compelling arcs throughout the series’ run. While fundamentally a story about good vs. evil, the show still manages to tackle some mature themes. The thoughtful, rip-roaring, and fantastical adventures presented in the show can appeal to all ages. In addition, the milieu of the show—in which individuals can manipulate the elements of fire, air, water, or earth—draws enough from real-world Asian religions and cultures to create a rich and unique lore. When Netflix recently announced that they were going to be remaking the beloved series for live-action (with the original creators behind it no less), you would think I’d be ecstatic. After all, with the visionaries behind the original, Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino, helming the production, it surely couldn’t be as bad as M. Night Shyamalan’s nightmarish reinterpretation. Plus, this would be a perfect opportunity to introduce the majesty of Avatar to the general public, so that it might finally receive the same recognition as a property like Star Wars (and deservedly so). However, when I first heard this announcement, my reaction was simply, “Why?” Supporters of the decision have claimed that this live-action series could correct the many mistakes of Shyamalan’s 2010 adaptation, a chief issue of which was the blatant “white-washing” of several of the characters. Even so, while more accurate racial casting is definitely favourable, it doesn’t seem to address my main concern with this planned project, which is that this adaptation threatens to tread over no new territory, and simply rehash everything that made the original series great.

The Party also doesn’t explicitly disavow multiculturalism, saying instead that immigration policy shouldn’t “forcibly change the cultural character and social fabric of Canada, as radical proponents of multiculturalism want.” Whether this moderate tone is due to Bernier’s own values or to the fact that it would be political suicide to completely disavow multiculturalism in a country built on that very ideal is difficult to discern. Either way, his party shouldn’t be mistaken as identical to its counterparts in Europe. The PPC poses a potentially serious threat for the Conservatives in the upcoming election. Given how close the margins were between Scheer and Bernier in the previous Conservative Leadership race, it’s possible that many conservative voters will vote for the PPC in the upcoming election. This would split the conservative vote enough to let the Liberal party win the election— perhaps even with a majority government. Bernier, upon being asked to comment on this possibility, responded in true populist fashion. As his party name states, Bernier insists that his strength lies in the fact that he speaks on behalf of all Canadians—particularly disenfranchised ones who are sick of regular politicians. He also claims that his policy proposal aimed at cutting corporate welfare might cause some NDP voters to come his way. Despite Bernier’s optimism, this seems highly unlikely. Though corporate welfare is something that NDP voters tend to dislike, Bernier’s policies on immigration and the environment (as he proposes to scrap the Carbon Tax) will likely push most left-leaning voters away. Political forecasts predict that Bernier’s People’s Party of Canada will struggle in the upcoming election, but more surprising things have occurred within national politics over the past few years. Whether the Party fails completely, splits the conservative vote or brings in new voters as Bernier wishes is up in the air. For now, no party can rest easy as the election approaches with no clear favorite in view.

Although the project details are scarce right now, I can’t fathom how it could be made into an engaging series comparable to its source material. Will Netflix merely recreate every episode from season one of Avatar except in live-action? That is utterly pointless, when one could just watch the the first season of the original, and still get all of the great moments—Aang emerging from his hundred-year cryostasis, Katara mastering waterbending, Zuko and Iroh’s witty banter, and more. The only thing a live-action version would add is realism to this fictional property, but do fans really watch the show for its realism? The animation of Avatar is part of its unique visual feel. Recreating those special effects and action scenes in a believable way, without an ample budget, is going to be a Herculean task. Maybe it’s just the cynic in me, but perhaps Avatar: The First of Many Cash-Grabs is a more appropriate title for this project. If you’re a fan of the original, and you simply want to see a nostalgic reinterpretation of the franchise you love, that’s fine. But if the goal of this series is not only to appease long-time fans, but also introduce Avatar to a wider audience, Netflix still has the opportunity to make something that will appeal to nostalgia and be original. If this series was set in the Avatar universe, but was a spin-off of the original, it could accomplish both. The Avatar life cycle will inevitably continue, but it shouldn’t try to emulate past incarnations, and instead give us something new and unique. However, if Netflix follows through with this plan, it could lose the opportunity. When the world needs original stories and ideas more than ever—in an age of remakes and reboots—I certainly hope that opportunity doesn’t vanish, only to resurface generations later, when the damage has already been done.

the entertainment 7

Museum of

Contemporary

Art Reopens MOCA’s grand reopening lays bare its central philosophy, and you’re invited!

SONIA SCARLAT | Contributor

As a phrase, “the art world” presents a daunting amalgamation of names, movements and concepts which, for most passive observers, seem impenetrable. Moreover, the subsection of contemporary art is even more difficult to tackle. Its vague name and current livelihood seems to leave most in the cold. Instead of interacting with the art and risking looking stupid, people choose not even to enter through the doors. With the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) reopening in its new downtown location in Bloordale Village this month, now is a better time than ever to consider stepping into what may be unfamiliar territory, especially with some support from the museum itself.

Coeur de Pirate: A Bilingual Show Indie pop artist finds herself by looking to her past OLIVIA ANDERSON-CLARKE | Senior Copy Editor

Montreal-based singer Coeur de Pirate, born Béatrice Martin, returned to Toronto to perform another show at the Danforth Music Hall. When she talked to her audience, she emphasized how happy she was to come back to a city that represented her achievements as a musician and her widespread fan base. “I’ve really needed this,” she said. “I’ve forgotten who I was the past few months and now I’m here.” Gael Faure opened up the evening, dressed in tight pants and a Hawaiian blouse. He strummed his guitar and sang with a quintessentially French accent against the headliner’s stage setup. He played “Quelque Chose sur la Lune” and “Siffler”, songs that were both written in his native language. But he also sang songs that he wrote in English like “Only Wolves”, a song about reincarnation. His justification? “I like this language. It’s not mine, but I don’t care.” This was met with an eruption of laughter. Despite it being Faure’s first time in Toronto, his performance was relaxed. It was

Throughout my childhood, I was taken to many gallery openings and I’ve seen my fair share of art, both contemporary and otherwise, as well as listened to endless “art connoisseurs” expunge meaning and symbolism from the pieces before them. So, MOCA wasn’t necessarily a foreign entity to me, and yet I found myself feeling nervous before going. Would I seem like I knew what I was talking about? Would I understand what the pieces were trying to tell me? Would I be smart enough for contemporary art? Here’s the answer: that doesn’t matter. After walking through all five floors of the new MOCA, located on Sterling road in the old industrial Tower Automotive Building, what struck me most was how open the space felt to any visitor. There are currently three expositions spread throughout the floors, but in no way does it seem like wading through endless canvases. There are opportunities to physically interact with the art and sculptures, work lying on the floor and large coloured glass panes hanging from the ceiling. In many ways, the presentation of the pieces and their sheer diversity makes the MOCA feel more like a large gallery than what we’ve come to expect from museums. If you’re a first timer to the museum experience, MOCA’s exhibition guide lists “10 ways to play with art”. Perhaps a little childish, these steps can start to steer you in the right direction when looking at the works. They encourage visitors who choose to follow the list to interact with the art, to look at it actively and to consider their own relationship to what stands in front of them. The concept of interaction is at the very heart of this new MOCA. During the ribbon cutting ceremony I felt as though one central thesis emerged: you are here to

a great way to get into a night of trying desperately to remember high school french and enjoy myself at the same time. Coeur de Pirate had a bit of a rocky start. She began the night with “Combustible” from her latest album en cas de tempête, ce jardin sera fermé. Donning a red romper, she was constantly jumping across the stage in a way that seemed deliberate and unique. Her head shakes and vogue-esque arm movements gave the impression that she wasn’t aware of the audience, as if she was just performing for herself. From this, her eclectic charm and personal sound were physically manifested on stage. But, due to an unfortunate sound balance with bass that was too heavy for her mostly treble music, the concert missed the mark for the first fifteen minutes. The audience appeared to be underwhelmed. There was a distinct distance between the performer and the onlookers, not to mention the giant stairs on stage which created literal distance between her and half of her band. But with “Je Veux Rentrer”, the bass found balance with the rest of the mix, and the audience found the Coeur de Pirate that they came to see.

engage with the museum and the museum is here to engage with you. This philosophy is present not only in the exhibitions, but in the physical architecture of the building and its location. The small information cards near the pieces often elaborate on the intended meaning of the artist, or that which seems most prevalent, which are helpful if you’re having a little trouble wrapping your head around what you’re seeing. But, you can always choose to ignore this interpretation and favour your own. They offer an explanatory interpretation of the art, but essentially a viewer can take it or leave it. The building itself does not hold the haughty air that many museums present, and the aesthetic of a repurposed industrial building is important in creating the atmosphere in which the art is displayed. Lastly, unlike many other new additions to the area, MOCA seems genuinely honest about its need to respond to the community, to learn and to grow with it. And the museum’s strategic geographic location makes its venues even more accessible. Adjacent to the Dundas West Railpath, right beside the Drake Commons and Henderson Brewery (not to mention the junction triangle near which it is located), the museum allows visitors the freedom to reflect on what they have just seen. Crucially, it seems that MOCA understands the need for this repose following the experience they present. Or, at the very least, they got lucky with the property. Whether you’re a first-timer or an art museum connoisseur, the MOCA offers an open, welcoming experience to view contemporary art. Your reaction to what is presented is your own, but if you’re interested in dabbling in the art world, MOCA will not leave you in the lurch.

The most touching moments of the concert were when Martin talked between songs. This grounded her by making her more relatable, especially when she cracked jokes like, “I watched a lot of Queer Eye. I’m a new person now.” & “I write a lot of songs about my exes; it’s my brand.” Coeur de Pirate’s charisma made her performance special. She resonated with the audience as she won them over with heartfelt stories and anecdotes. By transitioning to her more classic material like in “Somnanbule” and “Place de la République”, she reaffirmed the emotional value that her music contains, and recaptured the audience’s attention. By finishing the set with “Comme des Enfants”, the song that jump-started her entire career, and “Premonition”, Coeur de Pirate rediscovered the tracks that made her the artist she is today. By the end of the concert, you felt like you knew Coeur de Pirate and that she knew herself, and that feeling was more rewarding than any perfect performance.

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