PROJECT // Sled Constructing: 101
The initial project, Soapbox Construction: 101, was filmed in the Mile End neighbourhood of Montreal in summer 2021. Martens and Timpener worked in a garage and rummaged the alley to find materials to build a soapbox to eventually race. It was such a failure and success that we as a collaborators want to take the same principal of constructing as queer artists in a father-son activity to the winter season. That brings Martens and Timpener to Sled Constructing: 101/ La construction d’une luge: 101. They will find materials in the winter and construct a sled each. Once Martens and Timpener think their sled is ready to race, they will race on each major hill in Montreal. Failure and friendly competition is encouraged. The local community will be encouraged to cheer them on during the sled races.
BIO // Holly Timpener and Tess Martens are Canadian performance art collaborators. They first met at a La Pocha Nostra workshop. They have collaborated in Italy in INTERNATIONAL PERFORMANCE ART WEEK 2020 with Marilyn Arsem, VestAndPage and Andrigo&Aliprandi’s VENICE. Timpener and Martens are queer performance artists working in depth with themes of trauma, queer trauma and queer resistance. They balance their personal experiences, knowledge and memories with insight gained through community research. Timpener investigates “The Personal Is Political” in a modern sociopolitical context. Martens investigates childhood memories, feminism and personal experiences through embodiment and humour.
DETAILS // Richard Mugwaneza (filmmaker): Always freelancing, Vimeo Portfolio with fellow artists projects such as Soapbox Construction, 101, 2021 by Tess Martens and Holly Timpener in 2021. He makes ghost projects including character documentaries such as Darbaka, Egypt 2018, Hills, made in Rwanda in 2019 and Neo Ancienne in production at the Bas-Saint-Laurent region of Quebec in 2020.
