Cinema Politica: Waterlife

For our third screening this term, Cinema Politica at The University of Winnipeg (a partnership between Gallery 1C03 and the UWSA) is pleased to present the film Waterlife at Eckhardt-Gramatte Hall on Tuesday, February 1 at 7 p.m.

The Great Lakes are changing and something is not quite right with the water.

Waterlife (Canada, 2009) by Kevin McMahon is an NFB film that tells the story of the Great Lakes and the bodies of water that flow into them. The Great Lakes are under attack from toxins, waste, dropping water levels and invasive species, leaving the precious fresh water closer to destruction daily. These great bodies of water contain 20 per cent of the last huge supply of fresh water on Earth. They are on the verge of ecological collapse. Something must be done to save our only fresh water. People must become educated about this important issue.

Filled with fascinating characters and stunning imagery, Waterlife is an epic cinematic poem about the beauty of water and the dangers of taking it for graned.

The film is narrated by The Tragically Hip's Gord Downie and features music by Sam Roberts, Sufian Stevens, Sigur Ros, Robbie Robertson and Brian Eno.

Waterlife was selected for screening by The University of Winnipeg Student Association group EcoPIA and is presented as part of Grass Routes: A Sustainability Festival which takes place on campus January 31 - February 4. A discussion will follow the film facilitated by Dr. Eva Pip of the Department of Biology at The University of Winnipeg.

All screenings are open to everyone and are free. However, we do encourage donations to offset costs. Eckhardt-Gramatte Hall is located on the third floor of Centennial Hall at The University of Winnipeg.

We are grateful to the Canada Council for the Arts for their generous support of the Cinema Politica network.

Cinema Politica: Art and Apathy

Together as part of the international documentary screening network Cinema Politica, Gallery 1C03 and The University of Winnipeg Students’ Association (UWSA) are pleased to present the film Art and Apathy at Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall on Tuesday, January 25 at 7 p.m.

Art and Apathy directed by independent film maker Jessica Habie documents the relationship between art and social change in Israel and Palestine. Despite the way mainstream media portrays the conflict in the Middle East, the artists in this film produce work that provokes dialogue. Through their art, the film examines political and social elements in the Middle East that are often oversimplified by media. As a result, political ideologies and historical structures become clearer. The artist’s works inspire alternative perspectives transcending political rhetoric.

Art and Apathy was selected for screening by the Hillel Students Association. A discussion will follow the film facilitated by Dr. Angela Failler of the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies at The University of Winnipeg.

For more information about Art and Apathy, please visit: http://www.artandapathyfilms.com/. For more information about the Cinema Politica network, please visit www.cinemapolitica.org.

All screenings will be open to all audiences – everyone is welcome. Our screenings will always be free, but donations to offset costs are encouraged. Eckhardt-Gramatté Hall is located on the third floor of Centennial Hall at The University of Winnipeg.

Gallery 1C03 and the UWSA wish to thank Cinema Politica for making it possible for us to participate in this network. We are grateful to the Canada Council for the Arts for generously supporting this initiative.

Image: Scene from Art and Apathy by Jessica Habie.

Scott Benesiinaabandan (stephens) "unSacred"

Gallery 1C03 presents

Scott Benesiinaabandan (stephens)
unSacred

January 20 - February 19, 2011

Opening reception: Thursday, January 20 from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
(Gallery 1C03)

Public artist talk: Friday, January 21 from 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
(Room 2C14)

Gallery 1C03 is proud to present unSacred, Scott Benesiinaabandan’s first solo exhibition. unSacred will include new and recent digital images and a single channel video installation that draw, in part, upon research the artist conducted while studying at The University of Winnipeg. unSacred explores liminality through an investigation of the Windigokaan, a contrary figure in traditional Anishinabe society.

Operating on the fringe of traditional Anishinabe culture, the Windigokaan represents the opposite of accepted norms. Benesiinaabandan contends that, like clowns or misfits in other cultures, Windigokaan use their backwardness to teach others and that their contrary nature represents a powerful symbol that has received little attention to date, both within and outside of Anishinabe society. His landscape studies suggest the imagined physical space from which contrariness might originate and his depictions of material manifestations of the Windigokaan will open discussion about this sacred society and the importance of deviant cultural figures. unSacred is co-presented as a satellite exhibition of Plug In ICA's Close Encounters: The Next 500 Years, a large-scale exhibition of contemporary Indigenous art from around the world that serves as the banner project for Winnipeg's Cultural Capital of Canada 2010 Program (see http://www.artsforall.ca/ for more information).

Scott Benesiinaabandan (stephens) is an emerging Anishinabe artist based in Winnipeg who works in photography, printmaking and video, among other media. Benesiinaabandan obtained a BA in Psychology and Religious Studies from The University of Winnipeg (2002) and has completed mentorships and workshops with Manitoba Printmakers Association (Martha Street Studio) and Aboriginal Film Training. During the summer of 2010, Benesiinaabandan also carried out an international residency at Context Gallery in Derry, Ireland. In the past four years, Benesiinaabandan has been awarded grants from the Manitoba Arts Council and the Winnipeg Arts Council for his artistic work. Although Benesiinaabandan has taken part in several group exhibitions across Canada and in the United States, most notably in Subconscious City at the Winnipeg Art Gallery in 2008, unSacred represents his first solo exhibition.

Gallery 1C03 will produce a publication related to this exhibition featuring essays by Dr. Mark Ruml, Department of Religion and Culture at The University of Winnipeg, and Independent Curator Jaime Isaac. Expected date of release is Spring 2010.

Gallery 1C03 gratefully acknowledges financial assistance from The University of Winnipeg, Manitoba Arts Council, Winnipeg Cultural Capital of Canada 2010 and Plug In ICA for this project. We are also grateful for the support of the Aboriginal Student Services Centre at The University of Winnipeg.

Cinema Politica: Being Human

Gallery 1C03 and the UWSA are back with another academic term full of film screenings thanks to our membership with the international film screening network Cinema Politica.

Our first screening of the term takes place Wednesday, January 12 at 7 p.m. in Eckhardt-Gramatte Hall (3rd floor of Centennial Hall at The University of Winnipeg). We will present Being Human, directed by Denys Desjardins (Canada, 2005, French with English subtitles), a film that explores the public education system.

Being Human enters the daily lives of "problem cases" at a Montreal secondary school that sits at the bottom of the school performance rankings. Desjardins sweeps away preconceptions about the quality of teaching in disadvantaged neighbourhoods and the alleged deliquency of the kids who live there. Being Human is a subtle, captivating film that gives new impetus to the debate over public education. It is a far reaching examination of student life that stimulates reflection on the role of school in our society and asks how willing we are to support and finance the school system so that it will not be merely a factory churning out parts for the social machine.

Being Human was selected for screening by the Coordinators of the UWSA's Peer Support Program. A discussion will follow the film facilitated by Donna Copsey-Haydey from the Faculty of Education at The University of Winnipeg.

The screening will be open to everyone and admission is free, although we do encourage donations to help cover our costs.

Gallery Attendants Needed!

Happy new year everyone! We here at Gallery 1C03 hope that you had an enjoyable and restful holiday.

Right now Gallery 1C03 has a job opportunity available for one or two students to work as a gallery attendant. The position offers a few hours a week during exhibitions and we work around your class schedule to provide hours that suit you. This is an excellent opportunity for full-time students to gain more exposure to contemporary art on campus and to meet new people, including many artists!

Please follow this link to the job posting. All applications are due at Human Resources by Tuesday, January 11 at 4:30 p.m., so don't delay!