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Reunion 2010 is part of the 5th annual all-night long arts festival, Nuit Blanche starting at 6:57pm on Oct. 2 (www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca).
The event revisits the chess games between composer John Cage and famous artist Marcel Duchamp and his wife Teeny Duchamp held at Ryerson in 1968 -- one of the biggest crowds in Canadian history to watch a chess game!
In order to explore the artistic lineage of both Cage and Duchamp, several artists who have knowledge of these two figures have been asked to either perform as chess players or to present related works.
As in the original performance, it is a musical event that relies on chance, "purposeless play". The basic configuration is a wired
chess board on stage with each square having a light sensor on it. The moves of the players will trigger a number of live electronic performances by several electronic musicians and artists. The chess position will be filmed by an overhead camera and projected onto a large screen.
Beyond the artists who will be playing the board, at 10pm there will be a 2-hour game between IM Lawrence Day, Toronto Star and CFC columnist, and IM Alan Savage, chess journalist and Duchamp scholar, and at 5 am between two-time American Women's Chess Champion, WGM Jennifer Shahade (she has written game analyses for Duchamp's matches) and GM Pascal Charbonneau (2002 and 2004 Canadian Champion). These latter two will also play "wine" chess at midnight, where the pieces are different kinds of wine.
Between 2:30 and 5 am local chess players and audience members will be invited up to make a move on stage, assisted by chessplayers from the Chess Institute of Canada. This is a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to use this board and to contribute to a musical event by making a chess move. Depending on the number of interested players, there may be speed games. You may get a chance to play one of the masters. I'm also looking for a couple of volunteers to help escort players up to the board on stage.
Big article in the free weekly paper, Eye:
http://www.eyeweekly.com/arts/nuit%2...eridan-reunion
The event revisits the chess games between composer John Cage and famous artist Marcel Duchamp and his wife Teeny Duchamp held at Ryerson in 1968 -- one of the biggest crowds in Canadian history to watch a chess game!
In order to explore the artistic lineage of both Cage and Duchamp, several artists who have knowledge of these two figures have been asked to either perform as chess players or to present related works.
As in the original performance, it is a musical event that relies on chance, "purposeless play". The basic configuration is a wired
chess board on stage with each square having a light sensor on it. The moves of the players will trigger a number of live electronic performances by several electronic musicians and artists. The chess position will be filmed by an overhead camera and projected onto a large screen.
Beyond the artists who will be playing the board, at 10pm there will be a 2-hour game between IM Lawrence Day, Toronto Star and CFC columnist, and IM Alan Savage, chess journalist and Duchamp scholar, and at 5 am between two-time American Women's Chess Champion, WGM Jennifer Shahade (she has written game analyses for Duchamp's matches) and GM Pascal Charbonneau (2002 and 2004 Canadian Champion). These latter two will also play "wine" chess at midnight, where the pieces are different kinds of wine.
Between 2:30 and 5 am local chess players and audience members will be invited up to make a move on stage, assisted by chessplayers from the Chess Institute of Canada. This is a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to use this board and to contribute to a musical event by making a chess move. Depending on the number of interested players, there may be speed games. You may get a chance to play one of the masters. I'm also looking for a couple of volunteers to help escort players up to the board on stage.
Big article in the free weekly paper, Eye:
http://www.eyeweekly.com/arts/nuit%2...eridan-reunion
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