DARREN O’DONNELL
Free Haircuts by Children
As part of Animals and Children
Curator—Rachel Echenberg
Darren O'Donnell is a Toronto-based writer, theator director, social acupuncturist, designer and artistic director of Mammalian Diving Reflex since 1993. This company is a research-art atelier dedicated to investigating the social sphere, always on the lookout for contradictions to whip into aesthetically scintillating experiences, producing one-off events, theatre-based performance, theoretical texts and community happenings. Free Haircuts by Children crosses the boundaries between art action, theatre and social activism and has been done in cities around the world since its beginnings in Toronto in 2006: New York (USA), Birmingham (UK), Los Angeles (USA), Bologna (Italy), Terni (Italy), Toronto, Portland (USA), Dublin (Ireland), Vancouver, and Sydney (Australia).
Rachel Echenberg is a multidisciplinary artist who works primarily in performance and video. She has curated several art projects from her position as an artist.
As part of
ANIMALS AND CHILDREN
Free Haircuts by Children is a whimsical performance that playfully engages with the enfranchisement of children, trust in the younger generation, and the thrills and chills of vanity. Following a week of workshops with the artist and training with professional hairstylist, one grade six class will be paid to offer free haircuts to the public at KAAZ hair salon.
Haircuts by Children invites the consideration of children as creative and competent individuals whose aesthetic choices can be trusted. The idea that kids should be allowed to cut our hair evokes the same leap of faith, courage and understanding required to grant children deeper citizenship rights. For many it is actually less terrifying to contemplate allowing kids to vote! So, while Haircuts by Children is a performance for kids, it’s actually for the benefit of who they will become; for the adults who have to deal with the consequences of eighteen years of political disenfranchisement.
Call the gallery for an appointment: (514) 874-9423.
Haircut or styling is free of charge, call now!!
CALENDAR
30 April to 30 May 2009: Monique Moumblow—Arko Preeka
12 September 2009: Vida Simon—Leopold
22 to 27 September 2009: Darren O’Donnell (Mammalian Diving Reflex)—Haircuts by Children
8 to 10 October 2009: Suzanne Joly— Prendre mon T avec elle…
12 November 2009: Soirée vidéo—Avec des artistes du Canada et de l’étranger
14 November 2009: Vida Simon— The Suit/ L'habit
Darren O'Donnell is a Toronto-based writer, theator director, social acupuncturist, designer and artistic director of Mammalian Diving Reflex since 1993. This company is a research-art atelier dedicated to investigating the social sphere, always on the lookout for contradictions to whip into aesthetically scintillating experiences, producing one-off events, theatre-based performance, theoretical texts and community happenings. Free Haircuts by Children crosses the boundaries between art action, theatre and social activism and has been done in cities around the world since its beginnings in Toronto in 2006: New York (USA), Birmingham (UK), Los Angeles (USA), Bologna (Italy), Terni (Italy), Toronto, Portland (USA), Dublin (Ireland), Vancouver, and Sydney (Australia).
Rachel Echenberg is a multidisciplinary artist who works primarily in performance and video. She has curated several art projects from her position as an artist.