Between that life-changing Grizzly Bear show and the standup comedy night that still has you chuckling, make sure you get the most out of the other offerings of the Pop Montreal international music festival. Because here’s a fest that’s about much, much more: film, fashion, visual arts and best of all for the shoppers among us, STUFF.

Puces Pop has been part of the festival for the past eight years, and it has grown into a wonderful thing. This year brings a first: Vintage Pop, a vintage clothing extravaganza that’ll take place on the McGill ghetto in a Pop pop-up shop at 19 Prince-Arthur West. The boutique will unite the best from the city’s top 10 vintage ware collectors, so if you’ve been hunting for that perfect 1994 Nicole Miller blouse, here’s your chance.

On September 22 and 23, the crowd favourite Record Fair returns, filling the basement of the Ukrainian Federation basement in Mile End with more vintage vinyl than you’d think exists in this city. After you’ve done your own shopping, grab a latté at Olympico and settle down for the knee-slapping sideshow of skinny hipsters trying to wield the weight of their purchases on their bixies.

The big shebang of Puces Pop though is the Craft and DIY Fair, which takes over another nearby basement that same weekend. Take a deep breath because you go down the steps to the St-Michael Church basement – you’ll be greeted by a wall of human heat! There are so many crafty Quebecers in there, you won’t know what to choose. From pickled foodstuffs by the Preservation Society to leatherwork by Broundoor to all-natural cosmetics by Carriage 44, it’s all here, in rows and rows of tables beckoning for your attention.

Make sure you seek out the beautiful ceramics of Designlump, the local titles among the publications of Drawn + Quarterly and the fall flavours of pie makers Tarte Populaire. And above all, make sure to bring a big bag.

THE DETAILS

Puces Pop, September 19-23, 2012

The post POP! GOES THE CRAFT FAIR appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

What a great idea!  Take images of the moment from the planet’s most techno tracker – Google Street – and pair them with black and white photographs taken a few years ago.

Artist Jon Rafman, soon to be shown at New York’s prestigious New Museum, is part of a really interesting show at Art 45.  The exhibit, curated by Chloé Roubert, pairs work by photographer Gabor Szilasi with images downloaded from Google Street and enlarged by Rafman.  Gabor’s scenes are black and white.  Rafman’s are in glorious colours…the reality of the moment.  Gabor’s scenes have a reminiscent recall.  Rafman’s have an immediacy.  Rafman pulled images from North America. Chloé perused Szilasi’s portfolio to find photographs that paralled the Google images:  his street scene of sex shops is set beside a neon-bright Google Street/Rafman photo of a similar area.

Possibly Rafman’s most famous ‘photo’ is one of a nude woman with her back to us.  She is standing – seemingly in reflection – on a rocky shore.  The wavelets can be seen with their little tidal white caps.I saw the photo as a meditative moment – she is admiring nature before a secret (or not so secret:  is she alone?) skinny dip.  However, other people have apparently been bothered by this photo.  Their ‘reading’ of it is that the photo is an invasion of privacy.  But, we know not who she is, nor where.  Whether she has contemplations other than an appreciation of nature – we shall never know.  Google Street has taken this particular image down, by the way.  But you can see it – and buy it.  There are only three.

Catch Jon Rafman before the New Museum makes him a star.  And admire the documentarist photos of famed photog Gabor Szilasi. Rush to Montreal’s own ‘new museum’ – the Belgo Building features great emerging artists.  Smart buyers from all over the world are finding art they love, and buying them – before they are at shown at Art Basel Miami Beach – or the New Museum.

Gabor Szilasi images.  No edition.  $1,800.

Jon Rafman photos.  Edition of 3.  $225.

Until October 3, 2010.

Art 45

Belgo Building

372 Ste-Catherine Street

2^nd floor, # 220

514-817-0436

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