'A Measure of War (JE ME SOUVIENS)' Montréal, QC October 16, 2010

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A Measure of War (JE ME SOUVIENS)  October 16, 2010, Montréal, QC

 A pivotal moment in 20th century Anglo-Franco Canadian history is the October Crisis of 1970. The kidnappings of James Cross and Pierre Laporte by the Front de Libération du Québec were swiftly met by Pierre Trudeau's invoking of the War Measures Act - nation wide, civil liberties were suspended while Canadian Forces patrolled the streets of Montréal. The events of 1970 helped fuel the already-swelling Quebec sovereignty movement for years to come. Forty years later, how do we look back? How do we read these events?

A Measure of War is a site-specific public performance that is a part of the ongoing series titled Wrong Places.  Seemingly disconnected historical events and public speeches are juxtaposed and 'remixed' - both culturally and linguistically, triggering our collective amnesia into remembering things as they never were. How do we comprehend Trudeau's speech on October 16, 1970, or the FLQ Manifesto, when read not in English or French - the official languages of a bilingual Canada - but in a Third language? What is our response to the dissonance produced by overlapping layers of conflicted histories, including our ambivalent history of multiculturalism? On October 16, 2010, the public was invited to participate in this event, by riding their bicycles alongside Khang's pedal-powered mini-tank to City Hall, making stops for photo-ops at landmarks along the way. While wearing military fatigues, Khang recited the FLQ Manifesto and Trudeau’s national address in English, French, and Korean, spliced together from the notable public enunciations from forty years ago.

This work is produced as a special project for Articule Artist-Run Centre.