A York University doctoral student is behind an exciting interactive cinema-art installation that will showcase at various locations in Toronto.
Melanie Wilmink
Melanie Wilmink, a PhD student in art history and visual culture, is the curator of The Situated Cinema Project; in-camera – a portable micro-cinema installation that will travel to three locations in the city from Sept. 10 to 20.
The exhibit aligns with Wilmink’s research examining the connections between spectatorial experience and exhibition spaces, and how public art situations act as catalysts for audience engagement.
Wilmink is a 2014 recipient of the York University Elia Scholars program and the 2015 SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship. The funding, she said, has enabled her to balance her “theoretical research with practical applications in the form of arts programming,” specifically with this project.
The Situated Cinema Project; in-camera will be hosted by the Toronto International Film Festival, 8-11 Gallery and Artscape Youngplace. It was commissioned by Toronto-based media arts exhibition group Pleasure Dome to mark its 25th anniversary, and created by Halifax-based filmmaker Solomon Nagler.
The Situated Cinema Project; in-camera was curated by York U doctoral student Melanie Wilmink
The exhibit offers passersby the opportunity to explore intersections of film and architecture via a reinvented cinema space that is temporary and mobile.
Architects Thomas Evans and Jonathan Mandeville of Passage Studio designed the structure – which is assembled like an enclosed hallway where viewers can watch the film from inside at either end. It was fabricated by Hollis + Morris.
The exhibit will screen the short experimental film pilgrimage, created by Nagler and Alexandre Larose, his artistic collaborator. It was filmed in 2015 on 16mm and is four minutes long, and it will run on a continuous loop.
The dates and locations for the installation are:
- Sept. 10 to 13: intersection of King Street West and Peter Street, as part of the Toronto International Film Festival's Festival Street event.
- Sept. 14 to 16: 8-11 Gallery at 223 Spadina Ave.
- Sept. 17 to 20: Artscape Youngplace at 180 Shaw St.
All events run from 10am to 10pm. In addition, there will be an artist talk on Sept. 12 at 7:30pm and a reception on Sept. 17 from 6 to 10pm, both at Artscape Youngplace.
For more information about the event, visit facebook.com/pdomeTO.