mar.15.07:
UPGRADE !RAPID!FIRE! v/1

:: CANCELLED ::

The Upgrade RapidFire has been cancelled. But please read on.

The Upgrade !RAPID!FIRE! event scheduled of March 15th, 2007 has been cancelled. The event was to be a collaboration of UpgradeMTL with Kyd Campbell and Angela Dorrer and hosted by StudioXX.

The event has been cancelled, or more effectively, UpgradeMTL has been excluded from its event as our partners refused to continue the collaboration if UpgradeMTL used the existing image on its own flyer. UpgradeMTL maintains autonomy during collaborations and an agreement of independent promotion. We feel it is unfortunate that the flyer and its imagery were made into an ultimatum without room for discussion. All attempts to discuss the terms of this ultimatum or discuss possible alternatives were rejected. Thus, the collaboration has collapsed. View the attached flyer at your own risk!

We feel it is unfortunate that there was no opportunity for debate nor discussion before the issuing of this ultimatum, and we consider it unfortunate that these actions have placed the presenting artists in an awkward place. We wish to emphasize that UpgradeMTL did not cancel this event, but was rather excluded from participating.

We understand that there will be an "Upgrade RAPIDFIRE" event nonetheless and that it continues to use the name and logo of Upgrade. We emphasize that UpgradeMTL has nothing to do with this event and we are baffled as to why UpgradeMTL is mentioned in the promotion. Two of the original presenting artists, Tara Rodgers and Judith Weber, have withdrawn from participating.

We wish to emphasize that UpgradeMTL maintains a strong and productive relationship with planned host organisation StudioXX, and we look forward to collaborating with them in the future as we have in the past.

UpgradeMTL is an autonomous organisation. No group has the authority to dictate the autonomous province of collaborating groups, nor to issue ultimatums concerning the nature of the collaboration. The point becomes only too ironic when the essence of the event was to be one of "ageless potluck" -- an event wherein each offers and brings their own, unique, gift.

Concerning the flyer itself, an interesting translation of the word "rapidfire" into French is "mitrailleuse" -- i.e., machinegun. The word rapidfire comes out of military language, and it seems timely if not essential to investigate the inherent connection here, noted by many artists, between new media technologies and their military origins. UpgradeMTL sought to explore this manifold connection. The image comes from the very world the artists explore. It is designed to provoke all the meanings of the "rapidfire" concept.

A provocative example here of such a work which calls for this image is the "VelvetStrike" mod of the first-person shooter CounterStrike, featured at the Whitney Biennale a few years back, by Anne-Marie Schleiner (it was also featured in the movie 8Bit). This piece has received much critical attention.

We look forward to working with the artists at a future Upgrade.

We present here the now controversial and censored flyer of the proposed event.

-- tobias, Sophie & Anik, March 2007

[ old event PDF ]

CALL / APPEL: !RAPID!FIRE!

Dans l'esprit communautaire du traditionnel potluck, UpgradeMTL présente la prémiere d'une série de sessions !RAPID!FIRE! dédiés à la diffusion de nouvelles oueuvres des arts de la technologie. Les présentations sont organisées à l'avance avec un nombre maximal de 4 présenteurs-rices par session. Et oui, c'est... PREMIER ARRIVÉ PREMIER SERVI (!)
/////
In the spirit of community exchange and ageless potluck, UpgradeMTL presents the first in a series of !RAPID!FIRE! sessions dedicated to presenting fresh work in the technology arts. Presentation is organised in advance with a maximum of 4 presenters per session. Yes that is... FIRST COME FIRST SERVE. PRESENTEZ_VOUS! / PRESENT !

Upgrade !Rapid!Fire!
March 15th, 2007 . 19H00 – 22H00
StudioXX / 338 Terrasse St. Denis

[CALL PDF]

====