At Kosmic, the annual art event hosted by Carleton’s Azrieli School of Architecture, pushing the boundaries can mean learning to be innovative despite limitations.
“In-studio, the idea is that everyone starts with a simple project and you have to see what you can create within those parameters,” said third-year architecture student and co-organizer Jonathan Miura. “Sometimes people take restrictions negatively, but I think in a way this was a reflection of studio, where we could see what people could create within the parameters that we gave them.”
Simplicity through the use of silhouette and light were signatures of this year’s theme—officially titled “Kosmic Eclipse.” A monochrome colour palette complemented the minimalist vision.
“Early on, our idea was to create a black and white atmosphere to neutralize everything and bring it back to the simple formal elements,” Miura said.
The many art installations were arranged within the airy and spacious Horticulture Building at Lansdowne Park on Mar. 5.
First-year architecture students James Caruso, Alexander Lamarche, Frank Hinoporos, and Dylan Keith created a towering cubic construction covered in reflective Mylar, a stretched foil material.
“We wanted something that would play with the light and reflect the things around it, but in a distorted fashion,” Lamarche said.
The undulating surface, which reacted to wind and the touch of passersby, produced a visual effect similar to that of rippling water.
Another contribution belonged to Trevor Whitten, Simon Petepiece, Mitchell Gray, Tori Hamatani, Michelle Harper, and Adam Weigert.
Their installation, entitled “Gropius,” consisted of a narrow space with walls adorned with about 300 blown-up latex gloves.
“You have to walk through all the hands and basically be groped by all these gloves on the wall,” said fourth-year student Weigert. “And then it would open up into a space where you can sit or take photos . . . It’s more of a physical installation.”
Weigert was one of the many individuals who chose to dress up for the evening. He wore Viking-inspired face paint.
“Costumes allow any people attending the event to contribute,” he said.
It is this engagement with the attendee that gives Kosmic its unique flair.
“I like interaction,” master’s student Don Dimanlig said. He recycled a prior Kosmic installation built with James Bartlett and Lysander Zimmerman to provide a 600-watt eclipsed sun to suit the theme. This is in addition to creating a ring of light for this year’s event, specifically for attendees to take photos with.
“Anything that anyone can take photos of, can crowd into and take a photo, an Instagram, a Snapchat—I feel like that makes it successful,” Dimanlig said.
Throughout the night music was provided by DJ Khaos, a local duo. Organizers said they befit the party atmosphere while also maintaining the underground essence of Kosmic.
“As the modern age of music progresses we wanted to keep the connection between that and Kosmic,” co-organizer Jesse Bird said.
The organizers, Bird, Juarez, Miura, Thomas Brintnell, and David Anderson, stressed their gratitude toward all those who contributed to the success of the night, in addition to the companies involved, specifically Provides, an Ottawa-based design collective.
“At the end of the day our program’s one big giant family,” said co-organizer Diego Juarez. “We’ve done so much work—and we’re ready to pass the baton to the next one.”
