PHANTASMAGORIA

is an exhibit at the Dalnavert Museum

Manitoba Historical Society Dalnavert Museum 61 Carlton St. Winnipeg, MB

that explores history and memory through film, photography, projection, and interdisciplinary media art practice and engages audiences through art installation in the context of a historical, Victorian home. This year’s exhibit will feature an installation of artwork from local artists Coral Maloney, Caroline Monnet, Clint Enns, Doreen Girard, Danishka Esterhazy, Wendy Sawatzky, and Andrew Milne, plus an exclusive theatrical performance by Charlene Van Buekenhout.

Curated by Jennifer Bisch

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: The Victorian era gave rise to the invention of photography and the beginnings of early cinema. One popular means of display for early imagery was the phantasmagoria show – an exhibition of projected images, which evolved from the magic lantern projections first seen in the early 1800s. More than just a display of random images, the ghostly nature of the medium invited phantasmagoria shows to sometime use macabre themes to create exciting and uncanny optical illusions.

PHANTASMAGORIA will be installed at Dalnavert from October 5 – November 6, 2011 and will be open during the Museum’s regular business hours (Wed-Fri 11-4, Sat 11-6, Sun 12-4). Admission is $5 (adults), $4 (seniors), $3 (students).

Phantasmagoria Exhibit Opening and Panel Talk

DATE: October 5, 2011

TIME: doors at 8pm, panel discussion at 9pm, closing at 11pm

HOW TO PARTICIPATE: Drop-in, self-guided tour of exhibit; first-come-first-serve admission to panel discussion (maximum of 70 persons for panel discussion in Visitors’ Centre)

DESCRIPTION: To launch the PHANTASMAGORIA exhibit, we will host a panel discussion on the show, featuring Jonah Corne (University of Manitoba, English Film and Theatre), Vanessa Warne (University of Manitoba, English Film and Theatre, JJ Kegan McFadden (Platform Gallery), Amber-Dawn Bear Robe (Urban Shaman Gallery), and Melentie Pandilovski (Video Pool).

This seasonal programming was made possible with generous support from Manitoba Culture, Heritage, and Tourism, Don’s Photo, and the Manitoba Historical Society.

Click here for Phantasmagoria 2010

Here is a short video that shows all of the art.

They all had moving elements and needed to be seen in three dimensions.

sometimes video beats photography

The night I heard Steve Jobs died I was at dinner with my girlfriend Heather Brereton at her sister Laura’s place.

Laura’s 6 month old son Silas was babbling away, born into a world that was never lacking an iPhone.

What will he think of a rotary phone when he sees it in a museum?

We then went to the art exhibit at the Victorian Mansion in Winnipeg; Dalnavert

and looked at how art can grapple with changing media and changing times..

How the digital realm is either destroying or preserving the old analogue ways.

There were ghosts about that night; not just of people, but of machines too.