Labspace Studio Co-Directors, John Loerchner & Laura Mendes, have just embarked on a personal art project/challenge/experiment to do 365 new things in 365 days (like bake a pie from scratch, bungee jump, build a robot, fly a box-kite, churn butter, learn to knit, canoe down river rapids, climb a mountain in Tibet, and own an ant farm, to name a few).

If you’d like to follow their progress, you can tap into the project at any time via their 365 Things in 365 Days Blog from January 14 2012 – January 13 2013.

A Piece of a City is a neighbourhood-based curatorial initiative commissioned for Toronto’s Art of the Danforth Festival (May 2012).

The project brings together a group of emerging and established artists to envision a series of site-specific installations and performances that address the interlocking themes of locality, community & contemporary art practice.

Participating Artists:

Adam Herst, Alex McLeod, Amy Barnes, Brian Cauley, Denise Ing, Gram Schmalz, Isaac Weber & Creative Works Studio, Aesthetec Studio, Nobuo Kubota, Take Picture Don’t Steal, TIMEANDDESIRE, Will Kwan, Willy Chyr & Cara Spooner

Curated by Annie Onyi Cheung, John Loerchner & Laura Mendes.

For complete details, visit our project website.

Wishing everyone a safe & happy holiday full of good food and winter reading.

We’ll be closing shop till the new year. New projects on the horizon.

Book tree photo compliments of the Altoona Public Library.

For conference schedule & registration details, visit the Homework website.

In Memory is a collection of collaborative art installations created by 15 pairs of artists who have been asked to recall, reinterpret and recreate a past memory, together.

The exhibition will be at 717 Queen St East (Queen & Broadview) in an old, abandoned funeral parlour.

Opening event: 
Aug 19 | 9pm – 1am
Gallery hours:
Aug 20-21 | 11-5pm

In Memory is the final instalment of The (Re)Collection Project, a three-part art series that investigates how people remember the PAST, experience the PRESENT and think about the FUTURE.

Curated by Annie Onyi Cheung and Labspace Co-Directors, Laura Mendes & John Loerchner.

Artists: Adam Stenhouse & Vanessa Arnold, Annie Onyi Cheung & Risa Kusumoto, Annie Tse & Van L. Ching, Bishara Mohamed & Marino Imperio, Celine Marks & Lindsay Small, Chris Willes & Julia Male, Deborah Peterson & Huss Elassal, Denise Ing & Kathryn Ward, Gram Schmalz & Brian Sasaski, Jessica Thalmann & Noelle Wharton-Ayer, Kyra Green & Jasmyn Fyffe, Laura Mendes & John Loerchner, Maggie Flynn & Maggy Flynn, Nurielle Stern & Nancy Jo Cullen, Vasa Gatiance & Alex Shaw.

Press for In Memory:

BlogTO Review
Inside Toronto Article (Interview: Installations in old funeral parlour explore the instability of memory)
The Grid (Interview: Art show at the Undertaker’s)

Must See- Mentions:

Canadian Art (Top 5 Featured Shows in Canada of the Week)
National Post (Top 5 Things to do this Weekend)
Now Magazine
BlogTO
Torontoist

One day over drinks (lots of drinks), John and I (that’s us to the right!) had this idea: What if we could travel the world while running Labspace Studio? What if we could do everything we do here, somewhere else, or better yet, in multiple locations? What would that even look like? Could we even attempt such a thing?

After a year of planning, strategic maneuvering, and some serious humming and hawing, we’re finally ready to go public:

We’re going nomadic, baby

On August 1st, we officially bid adieu to our 2000+ sq/ft studio of three years. Yep. Poof. Gone. After much debate, we unanimously decided to ditch the studio in favour of freedom and mobility; freedom to scheme up new initiatives (like travelling art shows and international adventures); freedom to explore new venues in new places; freedom to do it differently than the rest; freedom to fail; freedom to do the things that matter most to us.

Less overhead + More time = Endless possibilities

So what becomes of Labspace Studio? Well, technically, we’ll be studio-less. But, no matter, we’re sticking with the name. While in Toronto, our administrative base (and the Labspace agency) will operate out of our brand new office at 130 Degrassi Street (still repping the east-end, woot!) Pics will be posted soon, right after we unpack and hang some art. In the meantime check out our red door!

As for our exhibitions, projects & events, we’ll be taking them everywhere and anywhere in site-specific places around Toronto and abroad. In August we’ll be producing our first nomadic show at a funeral parlour at the corner of Broadview & Queen. Weird, I know. But it totally works. You’ll see.

So there you have it. I feel so much lighter having spilled the beans. We’re excited, nervous, ready for the new challenges ahead. Join us on Friday, July 22nd at the opening party for Moments Intercepted. This will be the very last show in our 2A Pape Ave digs. Come celebrate!

To everyone who has supported us throughout the years and inspired us along the way, much love & gratitude. We hope you’ll continue to follow us along this new journey of ours. Expect ongoing blog posts on our experiences ahead.

Yours Truly,
Laura Mendes (and John Loerchner)

Co-Directors/Curators/Resident Artists
Labspace Studio

From June 6 – July 6th, collaborators from across North America (Toronto, New York, Chicago, Vancouver, Montreal, LA, Halifax, Calgary, San Francisco, etc), took part in a month-long series of random & impulsive creative challenges; responding, documenting & transforming their everyday moments into miniature art projects.

Big moments, small moments, private moments and public moments have been shared and collected, one by one, and made available here in our digital archive for all to see.


*Visit the Moments Intercepted exhibition at Labspace Studio from July 22-24 (Opening Party on Friday July 22nd, 7pm-1am).

Throughout Spring & Summer 2011, Labspace Studio launches the (re)collection project: a three-part series of creative projects & social experiments that investigate how people remember the past, experience the present, and think about the future.

Visit the re(collection) website for complete details and info on how you can join the project.