WESTERN FRONT – Bagdata

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Events
Bagdata

Description:

In Bagdata, Istvan Kantor performed as his persona Monty Canstin to propose the form of the “open-pop-star”: anybody can become Monty Cantsin if they follow the formula. Collapsing reality, fantasy, fiction, and history, Bagdata was presented as an expanded video performance that involved projected video, a sculptural arrangement of television monitors, electronic music, and live action.

In black and white, in a dark room, Istavan Kantor stands speaking into two microphones on a stand. Behind him, three box TV stands are stacked in a pyramid form. They wear all black, a leather jacket, jeans, a collared shirt and a tie.

In black and white, Istavan Kantor stands in the spotlight, wearing a mask, holding something aloft in his right hand. On his left hand is a drawn arrow. Surrounding him are multiple box TVs suspended in the air, showing his face on each screen. His clothes are dark.

In black and white, Istavan Kantor stands in the spotlight. His right hand has a large arrow drawn on and rests on his chest. He stands behind a microphone, and TVs are suspended around him, showing the same image.

In black and white, Istavan Kantor stands in the spotlight, mouth wide, at a microphone. He wears a dark outfit and a pair of six-fingered hands atop his own. In the background, many TVs are suspended, all showing the same image of an eye.

In black and white, lit in spotlight, stands Istavan Kanto with his arm raised high to his side, mouth open at a microphone. Behind him are suspended TVs with the same abstracted image. There is also an image of someone from a newspaper, titled Julian Beck 1925 - 1985, hung in the top left corner.

Captions:

Istvan Kantor, Bagdata, photo documentation, Apr 23, 1986.
Istvan Kantor, Bagdata, photo documentation, Apr 23, 1986.
Istvan Kantor, Bagdata, photo documentation, Apr 23, 1986.
Istvan Kantor, Bagdata, photo documentation, Apr 23, 1986.
Istvan Kantor, Bagdata, photo documentation, Apr 23, 1986.

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Reading by William Everson
Concert by Sunship Music Ensemble
Bridget Moser in Residence
Lecture and Screening by Michael Smith
Oh Pen! Reading
Reading by Jamie Reid

Western Front is a non-profit artist-run centre in Vancouver.

We acknowledge the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations as traditional owners of the land upon which Western Front stands.