Date: 11 September 2000 14:48 Subject: Fwd: Re: Artist Trading Cards > >FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PLEASE >September 9, 2000 > > >Swiss Artists to be in Calgary for "The First International Biennial of >Artist Trading Cards" > > >The New Gallery / September 8 to September 30, 2000 >___________________________________________________________________ > >The NEW Gallery is presenting "The First International Biennial of Artist >Trading Cards" from September 8 to 30, 2000. The exhibition opened on >Friday, >September 8 to a large crowd of 200 enthusiastic viewers. Calgary, along >with Z�rich, Switzerland, has become one of two international centres of the >artistic phenomenon >known as Artist Trading Cards (ATCs). ATCs are 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inch miniature, >signed, >dated works of art which are exchanged by artists and non-artists at >regularly held >Trading Sessions. > >The ATCBiennial presents in excess of 5,000 cards made by 100 artists from >15 different countries. The cards were brought together for this exhibition >by Calgary artist Chuck >Stake and Z�rich artist m. v�n�i stirnemann, co-coordinators of the >Biennial. stirnemann >developed the concept of ATCs in Z�rich in 1997 and the idea has been >spreading around the >globe since then. Calgary artist Wendy Toogood installed the exhibition of >miniature >artworks in The NEW Gallery for the ATCBiennial. > >In the current issue of Calgary�s FastForward weekly newspaper (September >07 - September >13, 2000 edition) a review of the Biennial led art critic Monique Westra to >write: "By >showcasing the cards of artists from different countries in this remarkable >Biennial >exhibition, the general public and the wider art community are introduced to >the tremendous >range of techniques, materials, subjects. The exhibition demonstrates their >creativity, diversity, beauty and wit. Surfaces can be any number of >things --- board, fabric, >watercolour paper, wax, metal, and wood to create card faces that can be >decorated by a >dazzling variety of methods --- painting, drawing, gluing, spraying, >rubber-stamping, >sewing, computer-generating and folding --- to affix any number of materials >ranging from >found objects like buttons, nails, and beads to organic matter like fur, >hair, twigs, >and leaves." > >ATCs are easily accessible by the general public, but, at the same time they >challenge a number of artistic and cultural paradigms. As Westra states in >FastForward: "Mixing traditions and practices of both the art of high >culture and popular fads, the enterprise defies hierarchal categorization >and erases the distinctions between high and low art. Through >transgression and blurring of boundaries, it is a perfect example of >postmodernism at its >best. The creative freedom and spontaneity of artist trading cards (ATCs) >also recalls the >era of Dada." > >stirnemann and fellow Z�rich artist Cat Schick, who has been involved with >ATCs from the beginning, will be in Calgary for the final week of the >ATCBiennial (ATCB). Schick is a former Calgary artist, now based in Z�rich. >Both her, stirnemann and others will be participating in a number of >scheduled events that will bring the ATCB to a very active conclusion: Panel >Discussion --- September 28 at 7 pm; Workshop --- September 29 at 7 pm; The >Third Anniversary Trading Session --- September 30 from 5 to 7 pm. Everyone >is invited to attend the Panel Discussion and to participate in the Workshop >and Trading >Session. All activities are free and take place at The New Gallery (516D - >9th Ave. S.W.). Phone (403) 223-2399 or visit >www.nucleus.com/~thenewgallery/ for more information. > >Additionally, on September 1 Z�rich ATC Headquarters launched a website >devoted to Artist >Trading Cards. Further information can be found at that site: >www.artist-trading-cards.ch/world.htm > >Schick, Stake, stirnemann and Toogood will also be travelling north to >Edmonton for the >Artist Trading Card Conference that is being presented by Harcourt House >from September 21 through September 23. > >If you don't have a chance to come to the Calgary presentation of The >ATCBiennial at The New Gallery, the exhibition will be touring CanaDADA and >internationally for the next two years so watch for this exciting exhibition >in a venue near you. > >- 30 - > >Schick/Stake/stirnemann will be available for interviews from September 22 >through October 2, 2000. If you wish to talk to them, or, if you would like >further information on the ATCB, please contact: > >The NEW Gallery: (403) 233-2399 >email: The New Gallery <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Don Mabie AKA Chuck Stake >Phone: (403) 283-5016 >email: Don Mabie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >m. v�n�i stirnemann / Cat Schick >email: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
