Theo Jansen’s Strandbeests

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Hidden City Festival 2013

The Dufala Brothers have been selected to be part of the Hidden City Festival in 2013.  Their installation will be at Globe Dye Works, and will feature materials sourced through RAIR.  Check out their video!

We have the dormant, yet exciting Canada Malt Plant along the Lachine Canal in Montreal that would make an excellent art  meets urban exploration cooperative.

It certainly falling in line with my concept of gentrification which is community based as opposed to just individuals making real estate investments. There is room for everyone and everything in a truly democratic city!

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Capitalism efficient? We can do so much better

By Richard Wolff

A Madrid woman holds a banner reading ‘Your benefits, Our crisis. Another world is possible’ at the Spanish headquarters of the European Commission. Photograph: Susana Vera/Reuters

What’s efficiency got to do with capitalism? The short answer is little or nothing. Economic and social collapses in Detroit, Cleveland and many other US cities did not happen because production was inefficient there. Efficiency problems did not cause the longer-term economic declines troubling the US and western Europe.

Capitalist corporations decided to relocate production: first, away from such cities, and now, away from those regions. It has done so to serve the priorities of their major shareholders and boards of directors. Higher profits, business growth, and market share drive those decisions. As I say, efficiency has little or nothing to do with it.

Many goods and services once made in the US and western Europe for those markets are now produced elsewhere and transported back to them. That wastes resources spent on the costly relocation and consequent return transportation. The pollution (of air, sea and soil) associated with vast transportation networks – and the eventual cleaning up of that pollution – only enlarges that waste.

The factories, offices and stores abandoned by departing capitalist corporations increase the waste of resources and of workers’ lives. In the surrounding communities, tax bases eroded by capitalists’ departures mean reduced social services, public spaces, and qualities of life for all but the richest. Those vast wastes of resources and damages to lives offset whatever small efficiency gains corporate relocations only sometimes achieve.

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Only art can save us now

The world needs creative interpretations of global issues, not better descriptions of things people are accustomed to.

by Santiago Zabala

 

Perhaps rather than God, as Martin Heidegger once said, it is art that can save us. After all, artistic creations have always had political, religious and social meanings that also aimed in some way to save us. Certainly, they also express beauty, but this depends very much on the public’s aesthetic taste, which varies according to the cultural environment of each society.But when the political meaning is manifest, aesthetics (our sensations and taste) lose ground in favour of interpretation (knowledge and judgment); that is, instead of inviting us to contemplate its beauty, a work calls us to respond, react and become involved. As it turns out, art – as a channel to express reactions to significant issues – has sometimes worked better than historical or factual reconstructions.

“The radical changes brought about in the advent of global society mean that the artist today must respond to a wider public… one that is concerned with the same global issues.“

Pablo Picasso’s Guernica is the example we all have in mind: painted as a response to the Spanish nationalist forces’ bombing of a town in the Basque country, it was used not only to inform the public but also as a symbol of all the innocent victims of war. This is probably why “aesthetics”, a term coined by the German philosopher Alexander Baumgarten in 1735, refers not only to the study of art but also to sensory experience coupled with feelings regardless of the nature of its object. But can contemporary art, whether through music, conceptual installations or cinema actually save us from the damned circumstances, atrocities and injustices we live among?

As an ontological discipline, philosophy must always pay attention to existential claims, whether they come from science, religion or art. Even though this is now possible, since philosophy (and aesthetics) has overcome metaphysics, that is, objectivist-representational nature (which also limited art’s creations), not all philosophers pay attention to the claims these works make.

If such distinguished thinkers as Arthur Danto and Gianni Vattimo have moved beyond aesthetic representationalism and formalism, it is because of their post-metaphysical positions but also their interest in art’s current existential appeal. Both philosophers seem to agree that the end of art proclaimed by Hegel is not simply a matter of art becoming conceptual – that is, “philosophical”. Rather, the radical changes brought about in the advent of global society mean that the artist today must respond to a wider public than in the past, one that is concerned with the same global issues that affect the artist.

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Nun’s Island Is Awesome!

For years I have been an outspoken critic about the rampant development on Nun’s Island. Every time a new highrise goes up there is at least a couple hundred more cars stepping in line to get on that bridge to somewhere. Too much of a money maker for some in Verdun, and a sign that the community over there is completely uninterested in protecting their own interests. So I have visually thrown in the towel and am going to celebrate the development of Nun’s Island in pictures. I figure it’s the least I can do for all those mainland Verduners that have had their view of the Saint Lawrence totally wrecked over the last 50 years.

Here is a start.

Does Anyone Else See It?

Nun’s Island Is Awesome!

Both images are available at Cafe Victoria until the end of April, are nicely framed 8 x 10′s, and very reasonably priced.

Look for more of these coming soon!

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Developer Buys Griffintown Horse Palace

Some nice ideas brought up, but basically they can do what they want with it.

Developer buys historic Griffintown Horse Palace

By Allison Lampert and Marian Scott, The Gazette March 7, 2012

Photograph Dario Ayala

 

MONTREAL – The Griffintown Horse Palace, listed among Montreal’s 10 most endangered historic sites, was sold to a developer last week, raising new questions over how to reconcile preservation and profitability during the tail end of the city’s real estate boom.

The 150-year-old stables were identified by Heritage Montreal as one of 16 sites at risk for neglect, or demolition, at a time when prime city land still continues to fetch near-record prices despite an anticipated slowdown in the housing market this year. On Tuesday, opposition party Projet Montréal called on city officials to intervene on behalf of another at-risk historic site – the decaying Sir Louis Hippolyte LaFontaine Mansion – located on one of downtown Montreal’s largest remaining site available for development.

Owners of some of these sites, including the Horse Palace, the Lafontaine Mansion and the recently closed Mount Stephen Club, insist they will be preserved, but have yet to decide on their future vocations.

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Pimento #45: Montreal Cityscape

Another excellent Pimento Report shows how  Tremblay’s City Hall doesn’t actually play by any rules, let alone their own, when it comes to development in the city. The Tremblay era has been erratically destroying the fiber of the city, diffusing it’s intangible spirit, crushing it’s unique architectural heritage, while creating a system of scattered embarrassing errors that will satisfy no one except those that stand to make huge profits.

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Montreal Failure To Fight Sprawl Is A Corrupt/Inefficient City Hall

“It’s odd. City hall has the power to determine a condo building’s number of floors, its number of units and even its number of parking spots. But it doesn’t have the power to set its number of bedrooms.”

So building thousands of one bedroom condos is how the Tremblay administration fights sprawl?  This is how the city believes it will keep and attract young people planning families will stay in the city? It is really difficult to believe that there is any intelligent life forms making decisions in this city. Unless, of course, this is all part of a grand design to fill the bank accounts of developers who will, of course, be very grateful indeed. There simply can be no other  explanation as it is highly unlikely that our city is run by people who are mentally incapacitated, is there? In the meantime Montreal’s potential looks more like Buffalo North all the time.

Henry Aubin: Island opportunity goes off the rails

 Attracting families is an important key to the city’s continuing success; so why isn’t this administration using key land for suitable housing?

MONTREAL – The new census this week showed that the off-island suburbs have finally surpassed the Montreal Island in population. What can Montreal city hall do to attract and retain more people?

Most of the people who leave the 514-area for the 450 do so reluctantly. They are often young people with children (or who hope to have children). They enjoy the city’s stimulation and its proximity to workplaces, shopping and entertainment. But they leave because there’s not enough suitable housing in their price range. The taxes are also high and services spotty. Not the greatest place to to raise a family.

Let’s acknowledge straight off that the city can never compete with the off-island on the basis of real-estate costs or taxes.

But the availability of suitable housing is another problem – one on which city hall can act much more strongly than now.

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Madrid Rio

Awesome reclamation project in Madrid, Spain, shows us once again how Turcot is shaping up as a totally blown opportunity. As cities around the world tear down elevated freeways, eliminate congested roadways, here in Quebec we have decided that the ideal thing to replace a freeway with is (drumroll) another freeway!

The video below also mentions how the Madrid project placed an emphasis on opening views of the old city. Here, the Griffintown development is going to block some of the most wonderful views of downtown available. There is a 1% get to live there 99% get their views taken away mentality with that Griffintown project and it’s usually called elitism.

Website

Article

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Stop Mayor Applebaum’s sudden plan to take back the Empress Cultural Centre

Monday, August 15 · 6:00pm – 9:00pm

5151 Cote St. Catherine (opposite the Segal Centre) Metro Cote St. Catherine

*FRIENDS OF THE EMPRESS*

It has come to the attention of the Empress Cultural Centre board that Mayor
…Michael Applebaum plans to pass a motion to take back the Empress at
tomorrow night’s Borough Council Meeting, Monday, August 15th.

This is outrageous and disappointing given the fact that, only a few weeks
ago, after months of work, the ECC presented a viable working plan (with credible developers) to Applebaum.

*The ECC board was not advised of Applebaums intention and only found out
indirectly of this motion. *

* *

This latest development is not surprising given Applebaum’s long history of
lack of support for the project. It is disturbing given that a viable
collaborative project was presented.

It clearly shows a lack of good faith. It raises questions of transparency
and respect for community engagement.

You have followed and supported the Empress project – devoted your time and energy towards its restoration as a community asset.

*YOUR PRESENCE AT TOMORROW NIGHTS BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETING IS IMPORTANT!*

We need to show Applebaum that although it is the sleepy summer THE
COMMUNITY IS NOT ASLEEP.

Look forward to seeing you tomorrow night:

*6:15pm to register questions *

*7:00pm Meeting opens with public question period*

*Cummings Centre*

5151 Cote St. Catherine (opposite the Segal Centre)

*SEE YOU THERE!!*

Empress Contact:

Tel: 514-481-6277
Centre.Empress@Gmail.Com

Facebook Page

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Sauvons le bois Angell – Save Angell Woods

We are running out of nature on the Island of Montreal and developers are going after what’s left. We need these valuable green spaces like Angell Woods!

“The City of Beaconsfield will be reviewing the zoning for Angell Woods. Saving Angell Woods is not an obvious solution for everyone. Many still see the area as a prime site for high density residential, industrial development and will be lobbying for that result. We have to speak up to ensure that the majority community view prevails.

La Ville de Beaconsfield prévoit revoir le zonage du Bois Angell. Protéger le Bois Angell n’est pas une solution partagée par tous. Plusieurs le perçoivent comme étant un site pour un développement de haute densité résidentiel ou industriel et exercent beaucoup de pression. Nous devons nous assurer que la volonté de la communauté prime.”

Sign The Petition!

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A Placemaking Testimonial From Côte Saint-Luc, Montreal

Project for Public Spaces was invited by the city of Cote Saint Luc to hold a Placemaking workshop with city employees last fall. This is something that we need to do more of on Montreal Island, working with experts outside of the city who may bring some fresh ideas to the table – not to mention actually inspiring city employees. There is at least two major issues in Cote Saint Luc – Meadowbrook and the Cavendish Mall land. There is tremendous potential with these two projects alone to make Cote Saint Luc one of the most advanced, efficient, and attractive “suburbs” in the whole urban area. Let’s hope they get it right.
Story right here.
In the late 80′s I did a photography project on the City Halls of the Island of Montreal and I do recall it being very nasty on Cavendish in winter, the space between the Mall and City Hall being some kind of wind chill no man’s land corridor, so close, so far away. Perhaps it is because the talk of the Cavendish Extension for decades prevented any serious ideas about “pedestrian friendly”, or maybe it was just the times, but it does seem ironic that they are going that way now with a housing development planned for the Mall, just saying…

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Snowdon Committee Ready To Fight City Hall

Yet another part of the city has been promised to condo developers who plan to rip the heritage right off an important block on Queen Mary in Snowdon. Being near broke is great for the Tremblay administration because they can justify anything by claiming they need the money, and will not have to raise your taxes! Wake up, people, you are getting screwed to begin with and this administration is slowly part and parcel destroying the Montreal you love! This one just makes no sense at all.

Here is an article by Andy Riga on the situation.

Snowdon Committee

And you can sign the petition.

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Montreal Dying On The Main

Josh Freed, in his Saturday Gazoo column last week talked about the street work being done around Sainte Catherine and The Main. He says,

“Maybe I’m over-sensitive because I watched the Upper Main go through similar pain: massive destruction, endless delays, slowly strangling businesses, and countless city promises that the street would be reborn after renovations. But three years later the Upper Main is still in ruins, with dozens of stores closed -because the customers who fled during construction never came back.”

You might be tempted to think this is some kind of a Ville de Montreal endorsed developer strategy, you know, “look, the longer we take to do this the more likely the hookers and other riff raff will have permanently relocated, and we just set up shop and let the money walk in!”
But it’s not.
Hard to say where the method in this madness lies exactly – we spend millions to “fix” a street for over a year (or two or three), close numerous businesses, change the shopping/eating habits of thousands of people, all the while claiming that the place will boom when the work is done – but someone benefits by it, you can count on that. And it is not the taxpayers or business owners, for sure, so something must be terribly wrong with how the city is being managed. And how is it possible that Montreal has become one of the most incompetent cities on the planet?

At the end of the month it will be one year since the last civic election in Montreal, a travesty which saw the population that actually votes put Gerald Tremblay and his Union party back in to power for another term. Tremblay’s administration had more corruption allegations going than a Lower Main hooker’s Iphone had numbers, yet still he got reelected with massive help from a media – largely owned by his supporters and Conservative forces outside of Quebec – that could not bring itself to support change at a time when change was the only rational option. As Mel Brooks once put it, “it’s good to be king!”

The Jazz Festival is a Montreal institution. Through thick and thin, everyone loves the Jazz Festival, and for many good reasons. But as a fan I have been put off by all this Quartier de Spectacle development, especially as it seems our beloved Festival is now heavily influenced by it’s prime mover and shaker, Rio Tinto Alcan. It gives me a sickly feeling in my gut to see the word Alcan associated with the Festival which has given me so much pleasure over the years. And it was the complete disregard for the heritage and traditions of the Lower Main that really sank the ship for me – it is nothing less than the Disneyization of a Montreal iconic strip. To quote from a Tom Waits song, “If I exorcise my devils, well my angels may leave too.” We are losing our contradictions, our essence, and our soul, by allowing such large scale defamations of the city to happen primarily because someone who could care less wants to make some big bucks.

Modernism was an powerful movement in the early 20th Century roaring ahead, surviving 2 World Wars, and instituting the urban mechanics and aesthetics that ultimately gave us suburban sprawl and car culture. Today we know that is not sustainable, not intelligent planning, yet we continue to believe in a version of progress that favours the few over the benefits of all. “Let’s clean up The Main”, proclaimed those contemporary moralists of political convenience with an enthusiasm not equaled since Jean Drapeau shut down de Bullion street, thus freeing up streets such as The Main for prostitution and other “illegal” activities. And we continue to just not look at either the details or the big picture in our city when we head to the polls.We stick to what’s left of our little rose coloured view. We should be doing something positive but, we are full of fear.

We are going to see much more devastation in the next three years as there is no political apparatus in place to pull Tremblay out of City Hall short of a revolution. An oasis of potential like Griffintown is going to get ravaged by a big box developer and a temporary transportation “solution”, so we can kiss intelligent urban planning goodbye here for awhile and hope there may be something left to fight for in 2013.

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Residents near housing project get intimidating letter

Residents near housing project get intimidating letter.

By MICHELLE LALONDE, The GazetteOctober 8, 2010
Neighbours of a housing project planned for the former site of Marianopolis College found anonymous letters in their mailboxes this week telling them to “be careful what you’re against.”

Montreal city council voted two weeks ago to approve a scaled-back version of the $300-million project by Developpement Cato Inc. to turn the former seminary into a 150-unit housing project.

On Tuesday, Anushree Varma, an outspoken critic of the project, was rounding up signatures in a bid to force a referendum on certain zoning exemptions requested by the project promoter.

On Wednesday morning, Varma and many of her neighbours on Cedar Ave. received copies of the unsigned letter, accompanied by copies of an article from Wednesday’s La Presse.

The article was about the Montreal General Hospital’s recent purchase of land adjacent to its current site on Mount Royal. That land had been owned by a developer who had met with vigorous opposition from residents over his plan to build luxury condos there.

Full  story at  top link.

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