Opening Reception & Performance with Carmen Papalia
Image Description
A man with olive skin and brown hair wears a light-blue shirt, brown vest, and straw hat. He holds a cane and is seated against a green backdrop featuring a repeating pattern of houses. His expression is pleasant, and he appears relaxed.
Date and Time
Part of the Exhibition
Please join us for an opening reception to celebrate the Western Gallery’s winter exhibition Embodiment. This event will include a short performance by artist Carmen Papalia.
Schedule
- 5 p.m. Doors open, refreshments served
- 6 to 6:20 Loud Cane 1.0 performance with Carmen Papalia and Tim Burkland
- 6:20 to 6:30 Q&A with the artist
- 6:30 to 7 p.m. Reception continues
About the performance
Carmen Papalia describes himself as a non-visual social practice artist. In collaboration with artist Sam McKinlay (veteran harsh noise artist under the moniker THE RITA) Papalia created his Loud Cane 1.0. Through the utilization of an attached contact microphone and speaker, the "sound cane" outputs various loud sounds that are translated from texture. Papalia then manipulates these sounds into different compositions, thereby instrumentalizing the White Cane and subverting its function as an institutional tool.
Carmen will be accompanied by sound artist Tim Burkland and will perform with Loud Cane 1.0 in the Western Gallery. Attendees are invited to participate in the performance and will use various materials and direction given by Carmen to experience Loud Cane 1.0.
Note
Visitors should be aware that the performance may be quite loud. Earplugs will be offered, and attendees are encouraged to view the event schedule if noise is a concern.
About the artist
Carmen Papalia was born in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1981. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Simon Fraser University, Vancouver and earned a Master of Fine Arts with a focus in Art & Social Practice from Portland State University in 2012. Papalia is a social practice artist and disability activist who utilizes improvisation and organizing strategies in order to create participatory projects that address accessibility relating to public space, art institutions, and visual culture. Describing himself as a non-visual learner, Papalia invites others to engage in a non-visual space through experiences designed to introduce new modes of orientation that, he says, “allow for perceptual and sensorial discovery” while critiquing visual primacy.
Events and exhibitions are free and open to the public unless stated otherwise. Visitor information