There was quite a good vibe at the art fair in Toronto this weekend. While Toronto’s fair pales in comparison to those in Miami or London or New York, it’s less useful to compare them, and better to focus on the fantastic young Canadian talent to be found.

Mike Bayne, Untitled, from the series God, Shelter, Oil Painting and Hockey, 2010. Oil on panel. Image: VoCA

The fair was divided into new, young contemporary (to the west side) and more established (and less cutting-edge contemporary, it seemed, to the east.) Among a lot of average work, there were some really good pieces on view, some of which I’ve featured here.

The dealers whom I spoke with sounded positive, particularly those in the less expensive Next section (for younger galleries). There were plenty of red dots, indicating sold works.

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I adore the Financial Times weekend edition, particularly its feature Lunch with the FT.

Larry Gagosian. Image: nymag.com

Last week, in case you missed it, mega-dealer Larry Gagosian, who was No. 1 in Art Review’s recent Power 100, had lunch with the FT’s art critic, Jackie Wullschlager.

He comes across as surprisingly humble, for a man succeeding at art-world domination, with a not-so-mini empire of galleries around the world, the most recent of which opened in Paris.

He says: “Taste changes, time will tell. But you can’t freak out about it and you can’t be paralysed because you can’t always hit the bull’s-eye when it comes to art history. That shouldn’t stop you taking your shot.”

Wise words.

Read the article HERE.

Some thoughts on the role of women in the visual arts: American artist Barbara Kruger makes the cover of W magazine’s Art issue, via the famous-for-nothing Kim Kardashian. The opening line of the article goes like this: “Kim Kardashian can’t sing, act, or dance, but she’s found the role of a lifetime in the fine art of playing herself.”

Image: highsnobiety.com

Meanwhile, a new feminist art documentary is about to come out this fall. It’s called !Women Art Revolution, and it’s by artist and filmmaker Lynn Hershman Leeson. Watch the trailer HERE.

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Last night we went to a performance by Guillermo Gómez-Peña, who we had seen a few years ago at MOCCA and blogged about HERE, this time together with the American First Nations artist James Luna.

Guillermo Gomez-Pena with curator Philip Monk. Image: VoCA

La Nostalgia Remix is the last in a series of projects called The Shame-man meets El Mexican’t, “in which they challenge assumptions and lazy thinking about ethnicity and culture in our society with a strong dose of melancholic humour and sharp-edged conceptualism.”

Remix is a series of live performances that explore the cultural, symbolic and iconographic dimensions of nostalgia both on the Native American “rez” and in the Chicano “barrio.”

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This evening, members of the Toronto arts community gathered at the Four Seasons Centre for an “open reception” hosted by the Canada Council.

The Toronto arts community, listening to speeches. Image: VoCA

Luckily, I arrived late, mid-way through the interminably dull speeches in which speakers bandied about terms like ‘synergy’ and other corporate boardspeak. My first impression was that this event perfectly represented the chasm that exists between government and the arts community. Wine cost $10 a glass, beer $6. There were hors d’eouvres too, a nice gesture.

The council is launching a new strategic plan, called Strengthening Connections, which “envisions a stronger relationship between the Council, the arts community and the Canadian public.” It will strengthen connections between “artists and their publics, the Canada Council and other funders, the public and private sectors, different regions, cultural communities of Canada, and Canada and the rest of the world, the Council will…ensure that the arts continue to play a dynamic and transformative role in our society.”

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Check out my profile of the young design team Reigo & Bauer, in the current issue of DesignLines magazine. The Toronto couple has renovated a Deco-style building into a number of apartments, retaining many original details. They make the most of the space in their tiny apartment, which opens onto a fantastic roof deck. And they have set up their firm in the offices below.

Click the thumbnails to read (and click again to zoom in):

A friend of VoCA recently drew my attention to this article in the Independent.

So-called “It” curator Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld. Image: iwanttobeariotfeld.com

The It curators: A new breed of young socialites are selling art is about the likes of Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld, son of French Vogue editor and eternally glamorous woman Carine Riotfeld, Vito Schnabel (son of Julian) and Tyrone Wood (son of Ronnie) becoming the new, super-well-connected art curators.

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Harold Klunder, Invisible Plans ( Yellow Self-Portrait), 2007-2010, Oil on canvas. Image courtesy TrépanierBaer and Guy L’Heureux.

4. HAROLD KLUNDER – NEW WORKS – AT TREPANIER BAER

New paintings by one of Canada’s most highly acclaimed painters, Harold Klunder go on view at Trapanier Baer Gallery from October 16 – 13 November.

You’ve gotta love his self-portraits, no? I think they are really, really excellent. One of my favorites – not from this show – is this little series, below:

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You may not imagine too much of a happening art scene when you think of Calgary, Alberta…

Wednesday Lupypciw, Lucky Charmz Clubb (video still). Image: stride.ab.ca

…but you’d be wrong. There’s a good art scene in Cowtown, as you can tell by a quick browse of VoCA’s ‘Calgary’ link, on the category sidebar on the left of the screen.

Here’s some of what’s on this fall:

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Did you go to Toronto’s “All Night Contemporary Art Thing” – Nuit Blanche this year?
What did you think – Did you LOVE it or LOATHE it?

Fujiko Nakaya’s fog installation at philosopher’s walk at Nuit Blanche 2006. Image: topleftpixel.com

The organizers blocked of Yonge Street – was this a good thing?

How did the art fare? Better or worse than last year?

What were your favorite installations? Least favorite?

Let us know – Nuit Blanche will only improve if we generate a discussion on what worked, and what didn’t.

Please comment below!