Three Wellington West artists are teaming up to animate Somerset Square Park Thursday June 30 at 9 p.m. for the first Hintonburg Inter Active.
Artist, educator, and community arts activist Ingrid Dabringer “wove” a portion of the Somerset Square Park for the Hintonburg Happening closing ceremonies called Invisible Landscapes. Ingrid uses 50 lb. yellow rope to “draw” between different objects in the park. The lines bounce from post to tree, down to a chair, back up a tree, and so on. Taken together, these lines become planes that create shapes and forms and even spaces that can be entered. It is a broad and deep installation that also has tight and fine sections upon closer inspection.
“You need to constantly ‘pull focus’ in this installation as you move between looking at the bigger picture and the smaller elements,” says Ingrid. “I make things that want to be filmed or photographed.” Many passers-by stop and take multiple pictures with their phones from many different angles. Another common reaction from the public: “Wouldn’t it be cool if you could play this like an instrument?” This echoes what Ingrid has always felt.
“I’d love to be able to weave these spaces with piano wire. I feel like the spaces between objects must have a unique sound,” says Ingrid. Fortunately for visitors to Hintonburg this Thursday night, a sound component is coming, although it will encompass a different kind of weaving.
The other two participating artists are cellist and composer, Raphael Weinroth-Browne and classical guitarist Andrew Mah. Both musicians are originally from the Wellington West area and are Canterbury High School graduates. They have both toured and performed internationally and are the winners of multiple musical awards and honours. Andrew is the president of the Ottawa Guitar Society and has specialized in transcription of international music for classical musicians and is currently recording an extensive compilation of music by J.S.Bach. Raphael is part of several local groups for which he composes and has just released a wonderfully haunting and provocative album as part of The Visit with singer Heather Sita Black. The Visit will perform at Pressed in Ottawa on July 6.
There’s a story behind this event. The first Hintonburg Inter Active event started with the Hintonburg Happening back in mid-May. Community gardener and arts supporter, Sylvia Bogusis enjoyed the installation so much that she approached Ingrid and suggested that Councillor Jeff Leiper was interested in leaving it up. Jeff asked the City of Ottawa to leave it up for two weeks. Over the next two weeks, an anonymous group of community elves helped Ingrid turn the lights on and off. People seemed to come together to care for the installation.
After the two week period was over, Sylvia suggested contacting Zachary Dayler of the Wellington West BIA. Ingrid, Zach and Sylvia teamed up to put on a show for Wellington West. Leaving Invisible Landscapes up for an extra month has allowed Ingrid to musically animate an installation that inspires people to want to hear music.
Residents are encouraged to join Ingrid, Raphael and Andrew and start their long weekends in style with a performance on Thursday, June 30 at 9 p.m. For more information go to Hintonburg Inter Active.