1001 Lights: Marlene Millar + Philip Szporer, Mouvement Perpétuel

At the Gordon Snelgrove Gallery until May 3, 2019

Reception: May 2, 5 - 7 pm

Free and open to the public

1001 Lights is an impressionistic video installation conceived by filmmakers Marlene Millar and Philip Szporer, revealing the intimate and life-affirming quality of the Sabbath candle-lighting ceremony.

During the course of several months, 100 women of all ages from across Montreal's varied Jewish community were filmed sharing their spiritual practice. The installation consists of individually documented ceremonies playing in syncopation. This rhythm serves to unify the experience and encompass a diversity of expression. The transformative movement is projected on three screens in panoramic form and envelops the peripheral sides of the exhibition space.

The narrative form oscillates between the quiet hushed resonance ignited by a single candlelight flame, and the fluid hand gesture choreography that elicits an emotive response to its layered meaning and tradition. The installation culminates into a hypnotic orchestration of ritualized shared experience where time slows down and is altered.

The project is designed such that visitors can drop in and out of the space, at will. The lighting will be low, and reminiscent of the sheltered space in which Sabbath candles are lit, suggesting more of a sanctuary, a place to pause and reflect with these traces of humanity.

This pairing of new technologies with embodied gesture and dance is essential to connecting viewers and creating a sense of place. The focus on physical reality rather than narrative creates a physically and emotionally affective experience for the viewers. By combining a danced and documentarian approach to explore the Shabbat candle-lighting ritual, the creators step outside of the classical storytelling narrative associated with many films and documentaries.

1001 Lights is supported by the Canada Council for the Arts – Dance on Screen Production Fund, and the Concordia University Part-time Faculty Association – Professional Development Fund.

Upcoming Events