11/6/2004
Tyranny of bliss
14 different sites, Toronto
A major new work by Tanya Mars, one of Canada's most renowned performance artists. Inspired by a variety of sources ranging from the 14th Century frescoes of Ambrogio Lorenzetti on the Effects of Good and Bad Government to Fellini's 'Satyricon', Tanya Mars constructs a modern day social satire with a cast of 30 performers. Tyranny of Bliss looks at the current human condition from both utopian and dystopian perspectives. The piece offers a richly layered, series of spectacular and incongruous images juxtaposed against the outdoor urban landscape.
by Tanya Mars
Toronto... Fado is proud to present TYRANNY OF BLISS, a major new work by Tanya Mars, one of Canada's most renowned performance artists.
Inspired by a variety of sources ranging from the 14th Century frescoes of Ambrogio Lorenzetti on the Effects of Good and Bad Government to Fellini's "Satyricon", Tanya Mars constructs a modern day social satire with a cast of 30 performers. TYRANNY OF BLISS looks at the current human condition from both utopian and dystopian perspectives. The piece offers a richly layered, series of spectacular and incongruous images juxtaposed against the outdoor urban landscape.
Loosely based on the pageant structure of the medieval Miracle/Mystery plays, TYRANNY OF BLISS is a 7-hour performance that uses limousines in lieu of wagons. Beginning from the Queen's Park legislature, two limousines -- one white and one black -- will usher small groups of audience members past 14 "tableaux" locations featuring images based on the 7 heavenly virtues and the 7 deadly sins. The scenes will also be accessible to passersby, allowing audiences to create their own narrative by walking from site to site. At each location a different scene will unfold continuously throughout the day, using the languages of dance, theatre, sculpture, visual art and literature.
TYRANNY OF BLISS promises a thrilling and provocative meditation on city life, providing a unique experience of Toronto that is not to be missed!
About the Artist
Tanya Mars is a feminist, multi-disciplinary performance artist who has been active as an artist-producer in Canada since the mid-1970s. Perhaps best-known for her PURE series (PURE VIRTUE, PURE SIN, PURE NONSENSE, and the culminating presentation of PURE HELL at the Power Plant in 1990), Mars continues to create powerful, engaging visual images in a variety of media that are exhibited across the country. She has been involved with many artist-run centres including Powerhouse/La Centrale in Montreal, A Space in Toronto, and was the Editor of Parallelogramme magazine for 13 years. She is currently a member of the 7a * 11d performance art collective and Senior Lecturer at the University of Toronto Scarborough.
"Art is the demonstrated wish and will to resolve conflict through action, be it spiritual, religious, political, personal, social or cultural." Alastair MacLennan
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Scene Locations
Queen's Park (north of the Legislature): Greed, Love, Wisdom (and starting point for Courage, which will travel south along University to Queen St. W. over the 7-hour period)
Queen's Park Legislative grounds: Hope, Sloth, Envy
University Avenue & Gerrard St.: Lust
University Avenue & Dundas St. W.: Gluttony
University Avenue & Armoury St.: Tolerance
University Avenue & Queen St. W.: Wrath (and starting point for Justice, which will travel north along University Ave. to Queen's Park over the 7-hour period)
City Hall Speaker's Corner (100 Queen St. W.): Truth
Pages Books & Magazines (256 Queen St. W.): Pride
Fado is pleased to acknowledge the Canada Council, the Ontario Arts Council, the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council, and the Department of Canadian Heritage for their support of our ongoing activities. The artist wishes to acknowledge support for this project through a Chalmers Arts Fellowship awarded by the Ontario Arts Council.
Saturday June 12, 2004, 11 am- 6 pm
14 different sites: from Queen's Park along University Ave. to Queen St. W.
Performance begins in front of the Queen's Park legislative building