PHANTOM STILLS & VIBRATIONS

Places and bodies – broken, betrayed, defiled. Secret, hidden stories gush to the surface in Phantom Stills & Vibrations, an immersive experience that looks to the former Pelican Falls Indian residential school in Sioux Lookout in northwestern Ontario where three generations of her family were forced to attend. A cultural genocide that continues, that leaves traces and open wounds. Inspired by visits to the land of her ancestors, choreographer Lara Kramer has crafted a performance art exhibit in collaboration with Stefan Petersen, a reminder of the repercussions of the traumas passed on from generation to generation.

A photograph of the former residential school (now a high school) and a soundscape of the north underpin a minimalist performance. Kramer portrays the excruciating reality of abused children and questions the possibility of moving forward. How can there be a rebuilding when violence is perpetuated? The exhibit stirs, disturbs, leads to reflection and meditation. A work of essential, powerful remembrance.

Coproduction Darling Foundry + National Arts Centre
With the support of Trent University Ashley Fellowship + Canada Council for the Arts + Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec
Creative residency Artspace, Darling Foundry + MAI Montreal arts interculturels

Diffusion MAI
Presented in association with Festival TransAmériques

Written by Elsa Pépin
Translated by Neil Kroetsch