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Michèle Saint-Michel

Filmmaker, Intermedia Artist, and Poet

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Between a Frame and a Soft Place | Curated by Michèle Saint-Michel | Millennium Film Workshop

Between a Frame and a Soft Place

Curated by Michèle Saint-Michel | April 11–17, 2025 | Millennium Film Workshop, Brooklyn

Welcome to Between a Frame and a Soft Place, a weeklong hybrid exhibition hosted at the storied Millennium Film Workshop in Brooklyn, and in collaboration with the London-based Digital Bodies Collective, the exhibition offers a multi-sensory journey into the digital body. Featuring film screenings, live performances, a poetry reading, a limited-edition zine, and a gallery installation, the exhibition bridges flesh and circuitry, memory and data.


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In the Gallery

Through stop-motion animation, voyeuristic projections, and embodied performance, the works invite the audience to engage with the tensions between intimacy and detachment, presence and absence. The artists in the gallery investigate how physical and digital remnants—ranging from childhood toys to fragmented video recordings—shape our understanding of self and the boundaries between the real and the virtual. These pieces challenge the act of looking, fragmenting perception and blurring the lines between memory, myth-making, and the evolving digital body.

On view April 11–17, 1–5 PM daily
Location: Millennium Film Workshop – 167 Wilson Ave, Brooklyn, NY

Gallery Installation Artists

Lisa Crafts (New York-based)

Chimeric Animated Portraits
Single channel looped animation projection, silent, 2017–2021.

Lisa Crafts is a visual artist working primarily in animation and moving image. Her interdisciplinary work explores environmental uncertainty, sexuality, creativity, and chaos, and has screened widely across Europe, Asia, and North America.

Sapphire Goss (UK-based)

Sapphire Goss works with moving image and photography to explore the fragility of time, place, and perception. Using analogue materials, sound, and organic processes, she creates ephemeral, otherworldly images—what she calls the “analogue uncanny”—that shimmer, decay, and evolve beyond the screen.

Audrey Coombe (New York-based)

The Game, 2019
Single channel looped video installation, black and white, silent, 2025.

Audrey Coombe is a video artist interested in occupying unexpected spaces with her work—such as public billboards—and questioning how individual and collective realities coexist or conflict. Drawing from metaphysics and exile, her work focuses on "peripheral realities" and shifting notions of privacy and possession.

Fiona Jacobson-Yang (New York-based)

Don'tgetridofit
Installation video on iPhone with figurines: digital HD, color, sound, 2024.

Fiona Jacobson-Yang is an interdisciplinary artist working with video, stop-motion animation, and the book arts. Based in Queens, she has exhibited in Boston, London, and New York. Her work draws from childhood memory and personal archives to animate intimate, sentimental objects—what she calls "digital tchotchkes"—into playful yet emotionally complex narratives.

Jorge Suárez Quiñones Rivas (Madrid-based)

hikisaku
16mm vertical film to HD, color, silent, 18fps, 4’, 2024.

Jorge is a filmmaker and artist whose practice explores temporality, embodiment, and poetics through analog and photochemical film. His recent accolades include the Fugas Award at Documenta Madrid (2024) and a solo exhibition at WIELS Contemporary Art Center. In the gallery, his film hikisaku unfolds a fragmented body across time and space, encouraging subjective projection and intimacy.

indexthumb (London-based)

A filmmaker and performance artist, indexthumb works through queer perceptual frameworks to explore the body’s entanglement with the screen. Centering their non-binary experience, they use movement, somatics, and multi-channel forms to navigate hybrid digital-physical spaces. Their work spans from underground bunker performances in Berlin to experimental film installations.

Madeline Rose Finkel (New York-based)

MIRADAS
Single channel video presented in 4:3, digital HD, color, sound, 2022.

An MFA candidate at NYU Tisch, Madeline Finkel blends documentary and poetic modes in her filmmaking. Her background in dance informs a visceral, observational approach to storytelling. A former Fulbright Fellow in Argentina, she’s been named one of “14 Filmmakers to Watch” by the British Council and One World Media.

Soo Hyun Lee (London-based)

Why are you doing this to yourself?
Single channel video presented in 4:3, digital HD, color, sound, 2024.

Soo Hyun Lee’s work traverses painting, performance, and video installation. With degrees from Goldsmiths and Korea University, her recent practice explores care—ranging from self-destruction to healing—through intimate character studies and drawn narratives. Her works have recently shown in Los Angeles, London, and Rome.


Main Screening – Friday, April 11

Featuring moving image works by exhibiting artists alongside guest filmmakers.

The main screening gathers experimental films that navigate the shifting terrain between physical and digital bodies, grief and transformation, analog materiality and virtual presence. Through radically subjective perspectives and tactile formats—Super 8, VHS, 16mm, and 65mm—these works resist the disembodied logic of digital speed, reclaiming space for slowness, sensation, and softness.

From the analog embodiment of crip time in good appetite, to the haunted collapse of image-making in The Sight is a Wound, these films operate at the edges of legibility. Smoke and migrant flora move us into ritual, memory, and personal loss, while CROWN preserves diasporic identity through the textured intimacy of a Black barber shop. In Eclipse, language and presence drift through a screen’s interface, while With Eyes Open and Cat Overnight complicate femininity and performance within digital gazes.

Together, these films create a shared, immersive space of tenderness and resistance—one that invites the audience to linger between states, sensations, and selves.

Program 1

Parham Ghalamdar – *The Sight is a Wound* (06:49) This film grapples with the limits of image-making in the face of unbearable human suffering. Through the burning of over 50 oil paintings and interwoven footage of violence and grief, the film exposes how images can fail to witness or carry the weight of atrocity. It’s both a protest and an elegy—where destruction becomes a radical form of creation.
Rana San – *migrant flora* (02:00) A quiet visual poem about migration and home, told through eco-printed floral “time capsules.” The cyclical rhythms of immigration, memory, and movement surface gently—evoking a feeling of being perpetually in transit, always home and never quite.
Celune Acheampong – *Eclipse* (00:30) A kinetic concrete poem exploring visibility and presence. A single phrase—“u can only see me in the dark”—drifts and rearranges across the screen, animated by digital waves. Sometimes “me” disappears entirely, challenging how and when we are seen.
Sara Wylie – *RESISTANCE MEDITATION* (04:59) Shot on Super 8 and eco-processed by hand, this is a tactile meditation on chronic illness and crip time. It resists the productivity mandates of normative timekeeping, offering stillness, slowness, and self-determined rhythm as acts of resistance and care.
Dan Robert Lahiani – *Blueprint* (11:11) A poetic interplay between the artist’s body and the decaying Clal Building in Jerusalem. As Lahiani undergoes osteopathic sessions, he also “treats” the building—mapping its injuries and trauma with care. The film becomes a ritual of mutual healing between man and structure.
Melissa Bruno – *With Eyes Open* (03:48) A silent, 16mm color film presenting an intimate feminine moment. Wordless and minimal, it captures the quiet poetics of presence, gesture, and sensation in a space stripped of narrative but full of feeling.
Pierre Yves Clouin – *Maxillae* (02:19) A playful, surreal study in consumption and embodiment. The artist's jaw (maxillae) becomes a stage for abstract choreography, teasing out a humorous yet uncanny tension between appetite, repetition, and identity.
Raphaël Bessette – *Ripe* (03:05) A lush, hand-painted 16mm film-poem that explores transgender becoming as an ongoing, sensorial process. Nonlinear, cyclical, and visceral, the film offers ripeness as a metaphor for transformation outside binary narratives of transition.
Lili White – *The HOUSE of WATER* (05:15) A gesture-based performance rooted in the *I Ching*’s Hexagram #29, “The Abysmal.” Using improvisational movement in nature, White invokes dream logic and body wisdom, proposing that like water, we must flow through danger and darkness without losing ourselves.
Jessica Parnell – *I Became a Cat Overnight* (01:00) A humorous, uncanny performance piece that merges belief, transformation, and surveillance. The artist appears dressed as a cat in a real-life setting, blending digital absurdity with sincere embodiment—asking where play ends and reality begins.
Michèle St. Michel – *Inhale* (03:33) *Inhale* engages with presence, absence, and the fluidity of identity. The work speaks to elements of vulnerability, sexuality, and self-representation in conversation with the work of film diarist Anne Charlotte Robertson and the self-portraits of artist Eleanor Antin. Music by Sam Carr.
Riley Tu – *Quantised Bits of Light* (09:15) The work reimagines the creation of cyborgs within the digital landscape. The awakening cyborg responds with sarcastic movements when questioned by an enigmatic creator.

–– Intermission ––

Program 2

Denise Iris – *Sweetmeats* (04:34) A mysterious fragment from a larger narrative that is never made clear becomes a meditation on illness and the transformative power of presence, rendered in a radically subjective style.
Myriam Rey – *absent landscapes* (10:31) The rediscovery of a box of old home videos opens a dialogue around the processing and reprocessing of images. The textures of video, memory, and home unlock invisible histories, absorbed by and through the body.
Ima Iduozee – *Crown* (04:00) Shot on 65mm, *Crown* centers a Black barbershop in Helsinki as a cultural sanctuary. A visually stunning meditation on community, hair, heritage, and belonging. Part of the *Diaspora Mixtapes* film series.
Andrea Hackl – *Moonlight* (04:20) An ode to the primal interplay between light and shadow.
Désirée Jung – *The Cut* (03:12) A film experiment on opening new spaces after the incision opens the body.
Noe Kidder – *A Paradise of Children* (03:13) A private, hermetic film exploring intimate love and rejecting the digital in favor of the body and personal myth.
Catron Booker – *Fugitive Freedom Dreaming* (05:52) A cinematic poem filmed at Fort Mose, the first free African settlement in the U.S. The performance centers Black Diasporic movement rituals as resistance, refuge, and restoration.
Erica Schreiner – *Smoke* (07:40) **WORLD PREMIERE** A ritual of heartbreak and healing unfolds through burning pages and submerged tears. This visceral performance turns personal grief into cathartic release. Scored by Toby Goodshank.
Yue Hua – *Trace on my Body* (03:31) A self-reflexive film about body acceptance following illness. Scars, skin, and voice are embraced through 16mm animation and hand-processed film. *Content warning: nudity*
Lauren Dana Smith – *V.I.S.T.A.* (05:32) A cyborg responds with sarcasm to its enigmatic creator, reimagining the digital creation of cyborgs and identity within virtual spaces.
Péter Lichter – *The Geneva Mechanism: A Ghost Movie* (05:14) The ghosts of celluloid haunt digital space in this abstract collage that deconstructs the film projection apparatus into ghostly remnants of cinema past.
Olivia Burgess – *Embodied Perception* (02:35) A poetic performance that blends storytelling, dance, and sculptural elements to reclaim the disempowered body as a site of knowledge production.

Performances – Saturday, April 12

Live Performers:

Jenna Caravello – _Air Shape Index_ Composer: Celia Hollander – 16:00

Jenna Caravello is a multimodal and interactive media artist from LA. Her work is motivated by love and loss, the identity politics of digital avatars, object-oriented hauntology, and social relationships across virtual forums. Working with animation and video game software, she makes experimental video games, interactive sculptural installations, short films, and mixed-reality performances that explore the role of fallible memory in personal, collective, and digital narratives. Caravello's work has been featured internationally, including at the Melbourne International Animation Festival, the National Taiwan Arts Education Center, the Raindance Film Festival, the GIRAF International Animation Festival, and Slamdance. She is the recipient of a 2018 Jules Engel Award from CalArts and a 2018 Princess Grace Award.

Mackenzie Rawls – _Impartenenza_ Dancers – 06:00

Brooklyn based performing artist, choreographer, and teacher. Mackenzie is a highly accomplished freelance dancer where her repertoire boasts a rich collection of notable works by Jose Limon, Bill T Jones, Thang Dao, Doug Varone, Karole Armitage, and Danny Burcazeski. She has also worked with esteemed choreographers such as Peter Chu, Darrell Grand Moultrie, & Ilana Goldman. She can be found performing with small local companies in the NYC area as a freelancer and is thrilled to debut this excerpt this month at the Fringe Festival.

Aleth Berenice – _Questioning Purity_ Dancer: Leya Gullström Matulessy – Composer: Sean Pett – 04:00

Aleth Berenice is an interdisciplinary artist whose work fuses dance, choreography, filmmaking, and teaching. She speaks 5 languages (English, Spanish, Norwegian, French & German). Her work has earned accolades such as Best Neo-Classical Choreography for Peripheral Perception (2024) and Best Film for Florence Dance on Screen, Messums Dance Film Festival (2023), and Puerto Rico Dance Film Festival (2024).

indexthumb – _Somadex_ 20:00

indexthumb is a filmmaker and performance artist working with queer perceptual processes to investigate frame-based bodies and the growing entanglement between physical and virtual space. Centering their non-binary body as a queer site of investigation, they use contemporary movement improvisation and somatics to explore the errors, invisibilities, and hybrid spaces that emerge from our interactions with screens and images. They have presented their work in various forms, from multi-channel installations to films on Hollywood Boulevard, and underground Berlin bunker performances.

–– Intermission ––

Performance Screening:

Jocelyne Moreau – _Mathilde_ – 08:48 Mathilde is estranged from herself and her surroundings by a long-term illness. She is advised to go and live in the countryside for a while. One evening she comes out of her lethargy and has a breakthrough.
Tamryn Challenger – _The White Cube_ – 06:49 ‘White Cube’ after Challenger’s poem of the same name.
Chanika Svetvilas – _Silent Screaming Siren_ – 05:14 The filmmaker utilizes her lived mental health experience of bipolar as the point of departure. Themes of transformation, incarceration, displacement, borders, agency, and hope show up in symbolic color and motifs and accompanied by spoken word.
Cheryl Pagurek – _here and there, now and then_ – 07:10 While interacting with Cheryl Pagurek’s ‘States of Being’ video and sound installation, dancers Rion Taylor and Wyeth Walker move fluidly through space and time. They traverse public and private locations, inhabit physical and virtual realms, and explore connections and relationships between the past, the present, and an uncertain future. Their movements unite black and white film footage with contemporary video recordings, while building a compelling soundscape with composer Jesse Stewart's music. Imagery of daily life gives way to hot and swirling climate maps, forging a continuum between here, there, now, and then.
Sarah ElMasry – _Carol_ – 05:00 A lone performer moves within a bright space, her gestures unfolding in a measured dialogue with a projected image. The film plays with perception, as shadows grow and distort, momentarily conjuring the illusion of multiple figures. The shifting interplay of light, body, and projection suggests an exploration of selfhood—perhaps a woman grappling with an inner aspect of herself or negotiating her presence in a public space. As the piece evolves, its static framing gives way to motion, altering the viewer’s spatial awareness and inviting a reconsideration of agency, duality, and embodiment.
Schuyler Dragoo – _Simulacra Goose_ – 03:20 _Simulacra Goose_ is an extension of Schuyler Dragoo’s ongoing project, Becoming a Goose, exploring the blurred boundaries between human, nonhuman, and artificial intelligence through speculative embodiment and AI collaboration. The performance merges Dragoo’s physical movements with AI-generated visuals that reinterpret human and nonhuman gestures, creating a surreal dialogue between the body, technology, and the speculative in-between.
Noah Rosa – _HAVEN_ – 02:43 Born out of the traditions of both experimental film and machinima, _HAVEN_ immerses the viewer in a sensory experience through hyperreal digital landscapes and textural sound design. The film explores the interplay between real and synthetic, experienced and imagined, using AI-generated imagery and field recordings to create an atmospheric blend of grace and violence.
Ellen Gilbert – _Freedom to Think_ – 15:00 _Freedom to Think_ (2023) is a self-recorded performance video set in a sterile, confining "human data bank," exploring the tension between autonomy and control in the digital age. The piece juxtaposes intimate, personal moments of contemplation with a cinematic manifesto to examine how technology commodifies thought and reshapes our inner lives. Through her dazzle makeup and graffiti-like questions, Gilbert critiques and resists surveillance capitalism, encouraging viewers to reclaim agency over their cognitive landscapes.

Poetry Reading & Zine Release Event – Sunday, April 13

Poetry zine launch at Between a Frame and a Soft Place, NYC 2025

Limited-run poetry zine published by Bad Saturn Media launched alongside Michèle Saint-Michel’s artist film series in NYC.

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The zine, Between a Frame and a Soft Place (Bad Saturn), serves as a tactile extension of the exhibition, offering a more intimate, personal exploration of the themes presented in the gallery. Through a collection of essays, poetry, and visual pieces, it explores the complexities of memory, identity, embodiment, and the digital body. The works in the zine reflect on the shifting boundaries between physical and virtual spaces, drawing from personal recollections, sensory experiences, and fragmented narratives. The zine, much like the exhibition itself, interrogates how digital mediation distorts perception and how our intimate, private experiences are often captured and refracted through technology. With contributions from artists and writers who share a common interest in the spectral, the work becomes an exploration of both the ephemeral and the enduring, offering a lens through which the act of looking and being seen can be reimagined.

Reading by:
Vincent Katz, Kevin Chen, Jamie Yuan, Kate Mohanty, Lauren Dana Smith, Matt McKinzie, and Gabriela Michele.

Zine Contributors

Alexandra Mauriello Alex Mauriello is an artist and designer whose work explores the intersections of nature, technology, and memory. With a background in visual design and research-based practice, their work examines how digital interfaces reshape perception and archival systems. Rooted in material experimentation, they use found objects, natural materials, and digital distortions to create pieces that blur the boundaries between organic and artificial systems. Their recent work investigates the idea of "natural data," treating landscapes and geological formations as information carriers. Mauriello has contributed to exhibitions and experimental publications that engage with speculative narratives and contemporary digital culture. @paper___organismo
Andrea Hackl Andrea Hackl is a multidisciplinary artist based in Amsterdam. While the human body is one main channel of her creative practice, she cherishes the alchemy of different disciplines. She is a poet, using different media to explore, create & express. Central themes to her work: transformational processes, empowerment, freedom and, often, the interconnection between our inner emotional and outer landscapes. Her performance project DREAMER has won the Award for Best Interdisciplinary Live Performance at Lensdans Festival Brussels. Her films are being presented at festivals world wide and have won awards for BEST EXPERIMENTAL / ART FILM or BEST VIDEO POETRY. www.andreahackl.com @andreahacklprojects
Anton Lushankin Anton Lushankin is (visual) poet, writer, playwright and translator, born in Kyiv, Ukriane. Since the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian War he resides in his hometown. His work appeared in multiple publications including TAB Journal, orangepeel, Cream City Review, Lenticular Lit and Teiresian. He has too many ideas to really be able to manage them properly, but currently he’s finishing M.Sc. in Architecture, while working on a closet musical “DIG!!! LAZARUS DIG!!!” (based on the eponymous album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds), a memoir-in-essays about the Russo-Ukrainian War and a multitude of short stories.
Christina Bauernfeind Christina Bauernfeind is an artistic researcher and performance artist based in Heidelberg, Germany. Their work explores identity, intersectional equality and the deconstruction of naturalized narratives through collaborative, site-specific, autobiographical performative practices. Based on academic studies in Philosophy, English Literature, Linguistics and Art Theory, with a focus on queer aesthetics, they work in longterm artistic research projects that find various multi-media hybrid formats in between pop and subcultures. For i am monster they have been collaborating with visual and media artist Hannah Uszball and sound artist Sebastian Horn.
Clara Chacón Clara Chacón is Bolivian poet, illustrator and animator based in London. Her work revolves around human experience both tangible and intangible often using metaphor to explain circumstances. She has a Ba(hons) in Illustration Animation and a Master in Animation both from Kingston University. Instagram: @little_sayubu
Collette Rayner Collette Rayner is an artist, writer, and lecturer working between Scotland and the Netherlands. Her practice moves fluidly between film, experimental animation, text, and drawing. She is currently the co-director of INN, a new residency space in rural Fife. Her work has been screened, published, and exhibited with Edge of Frame(London), Boundless Film Festival, Fetfilm (Stockholm), Macau Experimental Video Festival (Macau), The Royal Academy of Art (The Hague), 45th Parallel Literary Journal (Portland, USA), The Royal Scottish Academy (Edinburgh), 3 137 (Athens), Two Queens (Leicester), Gutter Literary Journal (Glasgow), Hoax (London), Standpoint (London), and Collective (Edinburgh). www.colletterayner.com @collectte_call
Fran Hayes Fran Hayes is an interdisciplinary artist working across 3D modelling & animating, installation, writing and sculpture. Her first solo show ‘Thick, Stretchy, Sticky Space’ was at IMT Gallery, London, from May to July 2024. Fran has exhibited locally and internationally, most recently in Itoshima, Japan, March 2025. Other significant exhibitions include a collaborative performance installation with Ika Schwander for Rooms Festival, Maastricht, The Netherlands, ‘through the eyes of a pigeon’ (2023) in Cape Town, South Africa, which she curated as well as exhibited in with Nick Rushton, and ‘The Way We Were Tenderly’ (2023), London, with Alice Palm.
Gabriela Milkova Robins Gabriela Michele (Gabriela Milkova Robins) is a Macedonian poet and PhD candidate based in St Andrews, Scotland. She was the 2023 StAnza Poetry Festival Poet-in-Residence, supported by the Edwin Morgan Trust, holding the Translation Award. Her work has appeared in the AI Literary Review, Seedlings, The Ekphrastic Review, OKNO.MK, Diversity, and three Macedonian anthologies, among others. Her performances include features on UK radio “Supernova”, at StAnza, Hame-ish, Fill This Space, and Struga Poetry Evenings. Her visual poetry has featured at StAnza 2023 in her collaborative exhibition entitled “Peeking” and she was a featured artist in the off-page 24 visual poetry exhibition and the off-page Kallax 2025 StAnza exhibition. Her poem Yield first appeared in the AI Literary Review. @gabrielamilkovarobins
Gel Press Gel Press is an archival experiment in ambiguity working around, through and underneath. Obsessed with things beyond comprehension, the project is a mirror of the synaptic relation of everything, existing in the world and to the world. I, we, my, our intention is to create a fluidity, an unblocking of trueness. Where everything is fluid and jittering at the same time. As long-time collaborators, we recognised our urge to wring out texture and sensation from language and therein lies the intent of the cosmology. Gel Press is co-founded by Georgia Bloom (@eventuallyswallowed, and Anouska Manion (@noo_noo_vibes).
Ginny Darke Ginny Darke is a Welsh poet based in Bristol, U.K. She has been shortlisted for the Foyle Young Poets award and the Creative Futures award. Her work has been published with ‘Poetry Northern Ireland’, ‘Anthropocene’, ‘The Remnant Archive’ and ‘Ink, Sweat and Tears’. Instagram: @ginny.darke
indexthumb indexthumb is a filmmaker and performance artist working with queer perceptual processes to investigate frame-based bodies and the growing entanglement between physical and virtual space. Centering their non-binary body as a queer site of investigation, they use contemporary movement improvisation and somatics to explore the errors, invisibilities, and hybrid spaces that emerge from our interactions with screens and images. They have presented their work as everything from multi-channel installations, to films on Hollywood Boulevard, to underground Berlin bunker performances. www.indexthumb.com @indexthumb
Jamie Yuan Jamie Yuan is a multidiscliplinary artist currently studying at the University of the Art London. She explores different mediums in order to build worlds, such as design, painting, music, and writing. A thinker and storyteller at heart, she draws from the obscure and the esoteric. She aims to be bold and incisive, having just the right amount of irreverence for art’s ability to communicate and inform. Currently, she maintains her own multimedia project at ersatz-heart.com.
Kate Mohanty Kate Mohanty is an avant-garde saxophonist based in Brooklyn and is a long time member of Brooklyn's DIY music scene. kate is avidly committed to the process of improvisation & collaboration. Disappear Here, Mohanty’s second solo effort, was released in October 2019 on friendship tapes. Kate’s albums are completely improvised upon recording. Mohanty's debut solo recording, The Double Image, was released via GP Stripes in April 2017. in addition to solo efforts, Kate has participated in a wide variety of artistic projects; including scoring short films, accompanying dance & theater performances, as well as appearing on numerous albums for a wide variety of music projects. In addition to music, kate is a writer and published a solo book of poetry entitled Back from Brooklyn in 2011.
Kevin Chen Kevin Chen is a spoken word poet and video game programmer living in Brooklyn, New York, author of the 2017 IndieCade Award nominated visual novel Four Horsemen and narrative ghostwriter for many smartphone games. He has written and performed spoken word pieces at the SalON! experimental variety series at The Brick, Cuckoos Open Mic at SoHo Playhouse, and Easy Paradise at KGB Bar, among many others, in a performance career that has spanned well over a decade. He can be found on Instagram as @verticalblankinterrupt
Lauren Dana Smith Lauren Dana Smith is a research-based multidisciplinary artist, writer and psychotherapist based in Taos, New Mexico. Smith’s practice centers sculptural, digital, video and sound compositions to process land/body politics through a feminist lens. Her works have been presented nationally and internationally, most recently at the CICA Museum in South Korea and at the PASEO Project in New Mexico. Smith has published and presented widely on art psychotherapy, traumatology, pediatrics and palliative medicine. Smith is a co-founder of the Taos Abstract Artist Collective. She holds an MPS from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, where she is a faculty member. @laurendanasmith
Maike Helbig Maike Helbig, based in Hanover, has a long path as painter, expressionist, photographer, make-up artist and hair stylist and has been working as photographer in varied projects since 1994. Her ambition is to capture and show beauty; the aesthetic and proportion of everything. Every object is unique, if you desire to show this. She aims to present faces, bodies and all things in their maximum expressive power. She's producing campaigns, record covers, products, cultural events and society pictures and video projects.
Matt McKinzie Matt McKinzie is a multimedia artist whose work encompasses writing, filmmaking, curation, archival research, and performance. He graduated from Emerson College in 2021 with a B.A. in Visual and Media Arts and a Minor in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. His films have screened at MIX: The New York Queer Experimental Film Festival, Wicked Queer: The Boston LGBTQ+ Film Festival, 8-Ball TV, and the Film-Makers' Cooperative. Matt has curated programs of film and video art that have screened in the U.S. and internationally at such venues as Spectacle Theater, Millennium Film Workshop, Mana Contemporary, and Cinema Catalunya.
Olivia Burgess Olivia Burgess is an internationally acclaimed movement artist, filmmaker, and photographer. She holds a BFA in dance performance from Fordham University and the Ailey School and a Master’s in Interaction Design from UAL’s London College of Communication. She has performed alongside FKA Twigs, Beyoncé, and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Olivia explores the human experience through staged installation, performance, dance, and video. She is currently deepening her movement practice through the study of somatic movement and Butoh. Her work has been showcased at Ars Electronica, Hypha Studios, Dances With Films NY, Fisheye Film Festival, Cine Paris Film Festival, New Renaissance Film Festival and Gallery Kollectiff.
Rachel Sun E. Rachel Sun E. is a fine artist and graphic designer based in Brooklyn New York. Her aesthetics embrace storytelling, and themes of embodiment, myth, and empathy. She is currently working on a creative writing and mixed media project exploring feminine trinity philosophies, and is looking for collaborators.
Riley Tu Riley Tu is a London-based artist working with moving image, music, and installation. Her practice explores body politics, self-representation, and algorithmic resistance in digital spaces, drawing on feminist theories. Through 3D animation, she sculpts bodies as sites of tension between internal experience and external control. Tu’s work has been shown internationally, including BFI Southbank, Oberhausen, and Salón ACME. She was nominated for Best Animation Short at New Renaissance Film Festival, is part of British Council International Touring Programme, and has received grants from Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture. She holds an MFA Fine Art from Goldsmiths, University of London. @riileytu
Riverstone (Yuying Song) Riverstone (Yuying Song) is a London-based poet whose work draws deeply from personal experience, exploring connections between individuals and the universal themes of love and mystery. Her writing reflects her “wanderer” identity, navigating the space between two cultures and embracing a fluid, non-binary self-recognition that transcends traditional notions of male and female. Meanwhile, by reimagining mythologies and religions, she delves into the blurred lines between divinity and humanity, often situating her work in the liminal spaces of “in-between”—neither this nor that—where chaos becomes a creative force.
Vincent Katz Vincent Katz is a poet, translator and musician. He has published several books of poetry, including the recent collection, DAFFODIL (2025). Vincent is currently writing a book about three artists — the poet and critic Edwin Denby, the photographer and filmmaker Rudy Burckhardt, and the painter and printmaker Yvonne Jacquette — and how they lived together and supported each other, as well as a larger group of friends and artists, in order to make art. It is always challenging to make art; in our times ever more so. vincentkatz.net
Zara Joan Miller Zara Joan Miller works across poetry, performance and film. Her work seeks to unravel boundaries between human and non-human nature, often playing with movement and sound as a way of reimagining a body’s rhythm. Zara is the author of poetry collection BLUE MONDAY (JOAN Publishing, 2022), which was also released as a duo LP with cellist Ute Kanngießer (Reading Group 2023). Her work has been presented at Barbican Centre, Muse Gallery, Horse Hospital, Cafe OTO, In Vitro, Default Den Haag and has appeared in Fieldnotes journal, Motor Dance Journal, Hotel, MAP, Another Gaze and Worms Magazine. @zarajoanmiller

About the Curator

Michèle Saint-Michel is an artist and curator working at the intersection of power, feminist ecologies, grief, and digital embodiment. Her practice spans experimental film, immersive installation, and interdisciplinary curatorial approaches that challenge form and perception. She has curated and exhibited internationally and is currently a film curator at Millennium Film Workshop.


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Between a Frame and a Soft Place is one thread in a larger constellation of work by artist and curator Michèle Saint-Michel, exploring digital embodiment, grief, feminist ecologies, and care-full futures. If this experience moved you, consider supporting the ongoing work.

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Wednesday 04.09.25
Posted by Michèle Saint-Michel
 

Between a Frame and a Soft Place at Millennium Film Workshop

Between a Frame and a Soft Place takes place April 11-17 at Millennium Film Workshop, offering audiences a multi-sensory experience that bridges flesh and circuits, memory and data. Each element, from the moving images on screen to the spectral illusions within the space, explores how the body exists simultaneously within and beyond the frame. A limited number of zines will be available, providing deeper insights into the artists’ processes and the themes at the heart of the exhibition. The gallery exhibition remains on view April 14-17, from 1-5 PM at 167 Wilson Ave., Brooklyn, NY.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Between a Frame and a Soft Place: A Hybrid Exhibition Exploring the Digital Body

Brooklyn, NY — Millennium Film Workshop presents Between a Frame and a Soft Place, a week of events that examine the digital body, how it moves, morphs, and manifests across both tangible and intangible spaces. Taking place April 11-17 at Millennium Film Workshop, this hybrid exhibition unfolds across multiple forms: a traditional film screening, a gallery installation, a zine release and reading event, and a performance program. Curated by Michèle Saint-Michel, these elements invite viewers to peer into a world where physical and digital realities collide, questioning where the human ends and the digital body begins.

Spanning film, performance, and installation, the exhibition explores how technology reconfigures identity and presence, proposing the body as an evolving assemblage shaped by digital interfaces, ecology, and shifting power structures.

Featured Artists and Events

The gallery installation features film works by Lisa Crafts, Sapphire Goss, Ellen Gilbert, Audrey Coombe, Fiona Jacobson-Yang, Jorge Suárez Quiñones Rivas, indexthumb, Madeline Rose Finkel, and Soo Hyun Lee.

The screening program showcases films from international artist filmmakers alongside works from the London-based Digital Bodies Collective, presenting an array of perspectives on embodiment, representation, and identity in the age of infinite screens. Featured artists include Andrea Hackl, Catron Booker, Celune Acheampong, Dan Robert Lahiani, Denise Iris, Désirée Jung, Erica Schreiner, Ima Iduozee, Jessica Parnell, Lauren Dana Smith, Lili White, Melissa Bruno, Myriam Rey, Noe Kidder, Olivia Burgess, Parham Ghalamdar, Péter Lichter, Pierre Yves Clouin, Rana San, Raphaël Bessette, Riley Tu, Sara Wylie, and Yue Hua.

The second night of performances features a live audiovisual performance by LA-based artist Jenna Caravello, a durational piece by London-based performance artist indexthumb, choreography by London-based choreographer Aleth Berenice, and Brooklyn-based movement artist Mackenzie Rawls. The evening also includes five performance films that further blur the lines between the physical and the digital, including work by Chanika Svetvilas, Cheryl Pagurek, Jocelyne Moreau, Noah Rosa, Sarah ElMasry, Tamsyn Challenger, and Schuyler Dragoo.

On the exhibition’s third day, a limited-edition zine created exclusively for Between a Frame and a Soft Place and released by Bad Saturn Media will be officially launched. The zine features visual art and poetry from more than 20 poets, artists, and writers. The event includes a special poetry reading by Vincent Katz, Kate Mohanty, Kevin Chen, Matt McKinzie, Jaime Yuan, and others. The zine includes work by Alexandra Mauriello, Andrea Hackl, Anton Lushankin, Christina Bauernfeind, Clara Chacón, Collette Rayner, Fran Hayes, Gabriela Milkova Robins, Gel Press, Ginny Darke, indexthumb, Jamie Yuan, Kevin Chen, Lauren Dana Smith, Maike Helbig, Matt McKinzie, Olivia Burgess, Rachel Sun E., Riley Tu, Riverstone, Vincent Katz, and Zara Joan Miller.


About the Curator

Michèle Saint-Michel is an artist, filmmaker, and curator whose work explores power, feminist ecologies, somatic memory, and the intersections of grief, longing, and digital embodiment. Saint-Michel has curated and exhibited internationally, crafting spaces where moving images become sites of intimacy, resistance, and transformation. Her curatorial practice foregrounds experimental film, immersive installation, and the ways technology reshapes identity and presence.

About Millennium Film Workshop

Since 1966, Millennium Film Workshop has been a cornerstone of the experimental film movement, offering resources, workshops, and screening opportunities to filmmakers pushing the boundaries of cinema. Building on its storied history, Millennium continues to cultivate powerful new voices in independent film and remains an influential hub for creative collaboration.

About Bad Saturn Media

Bad Saturn Media is an independent publishing and arts platform dedicated to amplifying experimental voices in literature, visual art, and beyond. With a focus on interdisciplinary collaboration, Bad Saturn supports artists who challenge form and convention, creating space for radical storytelling and aesthetic exploration. From artist books to critical essays, hybrid zines to experimental music, the press fosters projects that exist at the margins of traditional publishing, building a more care-full world.

Join us as we step into the liminal space between a frame and a soft place, where the screen not only frames our perception but dissolves into the shifting terrain of our digital bodies.






Friday 04.04.25
Posted by Michèle Saint-Michel
 

Open Call: Between a Frame and a Soft Place

OPEN CALL: “Between a Frame and a Soft Place”
Curated by Michèle St. Michel with Guest Deep Reader Curator Ari-Duong Nguyen
Exhibition & Screening: April 11–17, 2025 at Millennium Film Workshop, Brooklyn, NY
Submission Deadline: Friday, February 28, 2025 at 5pm
Notifications: March 14, 2025

Link to submit: https://forms.gle/1fmUkyS1jbdp2Ne36

Now Accepting Proposals:

  • Short Film & Video Art (Up to 13 min)

  • Installation, Wall-mounted Visual Work, Sculptural Work 

  • Sound / Performance (Live or pre-recorded)

  • Zine Contributions (poetry, prose, artwork)

Join members of the London-based Digital Bodies Collective and other New York-based artists for a group exhibition featuring short films, performances, sculptural installations, and a special zine release. "Between a Frame and a Soft Place" is a group exhibition of time-based works, performance, and immersive installations that meditate on the concept of the digital body, and how it moves, morphs, and manifests in both tangible and intangible realms. The exhibition bridges film screenings, gallery installation, experimental publishing, and performance, inviting visitors into the cracks where spillage and glitching of physical and digital realities can be glimpsed.

2.jpg 3.jpg 4.jpg 5.jpg 6.jpg 7.jpg 8.jpg

Through this hybrid format, the show examines how technology reconfigures identity and presence, prompting us to consider where the human ends and the digital body begins. In this liminal space, the body becomes an evolving assemblage, shaped by ecology, power structures, and the screens we inhabit.

Seeking submissions that explore:

  • Embodiment & identity: How digital interfaces reconfigure our sense of self

  • Techno [trans]formations: Emerging tech reshaping human interaction

  • Memoria & myth-making: Personal or collective narratives in a screen-saturated age

  • The spectral & sensory: Immersive or experimental works that blur the line between data and flesh

Link to submit: https://forms.gle/1fmUkyS1jbdp2Ne36


About

For over fifty years, Millennium Film Workshop has served as a world renowned center for independent experimental film production and exhibition.

Michèle Saint-Michel is a filmmaker, curator, and poet based in Brooklyn, NY. She works around issues of power, feminist ecologies, and somatic memory. Her latest co-curated event was a sold-out screening in NYC, featuring 65 local and international filmmakers. Letters of Intent (LOI) available for international artists. All encouraged to apply.


Key Dates

  • Submission Deadline: Friday, February 28, 2025 at 5pm

  • Notification of Acceptance: March 14, 2025

  • PV, Opening & Main Screening: Friday, April 11, 2025 at 8pm

  • Sound / Performance Events: Saturday, April 12 - April 17, 2025

  • Zine Release & Reading Event: Sunday, April 13, 2025

  • Gallery Exhibition: April 11–17, 2025

  • Deinstall: April 18, 2025

Link to submit: https://forms.gle/1fmUkyS1jbdp2Ne36

tags: open call
Friday 01.31.25
Posted by Michèle Saint-Michel
 

Millennium Film Workshop Celebrates Overwhelming Success of "The Poetic Lens" Screening

Saint-Michel addresses the standing-room-only crowd at Brooklyn’s Millennium Film Workshop


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Global Audience Joins In-Person and Online to Experience 65 Poetry Films Curated by Michèle Saint-Michel and Erica Schreiner

BROOKLYN, NY – Millennium Film Workshop is proud to announce the resounding success of The Poetic Lens, a magnetic poetry film showcase curated by artists Michèle Saint-Michel and Erica Schreiner, which took place on January 18, 2025 at the organization’s storied Brooklyn space. The event drew a sold-out crowd for its in-person screening and an enthusiastic international audience via live simulcast.

From a record-setting 750 submissions, the curators assembled an eclectic 2.5-hour main program of 35 standout works, with an additional 30 films displayed in a dedicated Gallery space. The selected films seamlessly merged poetry and experimental moving images, transporting viewers into a dreamlike cinematic journey at the intersection of literature, performance, and contemporary art.

“Every film spoke to the power of visual poetry, from its surreal landscapes to heartfelt narratives,” curator Michèle Saint-Michel added. “I’m thrilled we had such a vibrant turnout and shared my love for this intersection of film, performance, and verse with people from around the world.”

About the Curators

  • Michèle Saint-Michel is a filmmaker and intermedia artist who creates work centered on power dynamics, feminist ecologies, somatic memory, and quantum mechanics. An international festival and gallery exhibitor, she has authored four books, leads the Artists’ Film Club community, and serves on the curatorial staff at Millennium Film Workshop.

  • Erica Schreiner is a New York–based video and performance artist who harnesses VHS to craft allegorical, ethereal pieces. Through found-object manipulation and elaborate set-building, her surreal films delve into femininity, anarchistic themes, and ritual. Her works have exhibited at MoMA, MoMA PS1, SHOWstudio, and Hugh Lane Gallery.

Event Highlights

  • Date & Time: January 18, 2025, at 8:00pm (doors at 7:30pm)

  • Location: Millennium Film Workshop, 167 Wilson Ave., Brooklyn, NY

  • Attendance: Sold-out in-person crowd plus a robust virtual audience via simulcast

  • Program: 35 selected films in the main showcase and 30 additional works featured in the Gallery

  • Proceeds supporting Millennium’s continued mission of fostering experimental cinema

About Millennium Film Workshop

Established in 1966, Millennium Film Workshop has championed experimental film by providing resources, workshops, and screening opportunities to avant-garde filmmakers. With a rich history of nurturing independent voices, Millennium remains a vital hub for creative collaboration and cutting-edge film culture.

tags: Curation by Michèle Saint-Michel
Saturday 01.25.25
Posted by Michèle Saint-Michel
 

Michèle Saint-Michel Co-Curates The Poetic Lens at Millennium Film Workshop

Brooklyn, NY — Curator and poetry filmmaker Michèle Saint-Michel and renowned performance artist and film diarist Erica Schreiner are thrilled to announce an open call for The Poetic Lens, a curated screening of poetry films to be held in 2025 at the iconic Millennium Film Workshop in Brooklyn, NY. Submissions are open now through December 10, 2024, with free entry for artists worldwide.

“The fate of poetry is to fall in love with the world.” — Derek Walcott

The Poetic Lens promises to be an extraordinary evening celebrating the synergy of poetry and filmmaking. The event will explore the vast possibilities of the poetry film genre, showcasing works that traverse boundaries and defy categorization. From poems read aloud on film to cinematic poetry, kinetic typography, soundscapes, visual poetics, and abstract experimentation, the screening aims to ignite dialogue about the genre’s fluidity and creative potential.

With The Poetic Lens, Saint-Michel and Schreiner bring their shared vision of championing innovation and boundary-pushing artistry to the Millennium Film Workshop, a historic space long known for nurturing experimental and independent film. This partnership has already inspired hundreds of submissions, setting the stage for a groundbreaking celebration of the poetic image.

Key Details:

  • Deadline for submissions: Tuesday, December 10, 2024

  • Submission fees: Free

  • Eligibility: Open to all artists, regardless of location

  • Submit

This event invites creators to embrace and redefine the poetry film genre, contributing to a vibrant discourse that blends visual and literary artistry.

About the Curators:
Michèle Saint-Michel is a poet and filmmaker whose work explores themes of grief, longing, and feminist ecologies. With an MA in Artists’ Film and Moving Image and two published poetry collections, her innovative approach has been celebrated internationally. Erica Schreiner is a trailblazing experimental filmmaker whose work has been showcased in galleries and festivals worldwide, known for her intimate and evocative style.

Join us for a night where poetry and film converge, and the boundaries of storytelling dissolve into the sublime.

tags: open call
Monday 12.02.24
Posted by Michelle
 

Goldsmiths students provide sneak peek ahead of degree show

Graduating artists from the world-leading Fine Art programme will showcase their work at the annual Degree Shows this week, celebrating the best of creativity at Goldsmiths. 

MICHÈLE SAINT-MICHEL. 21 Scores for Losing Yourself in a Body, 2024. 16mm, hand-processed B&W film, digitally scanned with digital HD video; Stereo sound; Colour; 23m01s. Installation view, Laurie Grove Baths, South London, New Cross, UK. Photo credit: Hanna Moon

Goldsmiths MFA programme that honed the talents of artists such as Damien Hurst and Sarah Lucas, will join student artists studying for the MA Artists’ Film & Moving Image, the MA Art & Ecology and Graduate Diploma in Art programmes. In all some 120 artists work will be on display.

Opening on 11 July the five-day Postgraduate degree show will bring together the work of students from the UK, China, South Korea, Egypt, Bangladesh, Romania, the USA.

Source: https://alt-africa.com/2024/07/11/goldsmit...
Friday 07.05.24
Posted by Michèle Saint-Michel
 

Finding Solace in Art: The Story Behind "Grief Is an Origami Swan"

In the midst of grief's tumultuous storm, artist Michèle Saint-Michel found solace in the delicate art of origami. Drawn to the meditative repetition of folding and the symbolic grace of swans, she embarked on a journey to create a beacon of hope for those navigating the murky waters of loss.

Saint-Michel with an Origami swan folded in her home near the Missouri River.

In her poignant book, Grief Is an Origami Swan: An Artbook About Grief, Saint-Michel invites readers into a quiet ritual of remembrance. With each fold of a paper swan, grief is given a shape—allowing sorrow to be both held and expressed. Though distinct from the Japanese tradition of Senbazuru (千羽鶴)—in which one thousand paper cranes are folded as a prayer for healing—this practice echoes its spirit: a belief in the quiet accumulation of care, one gesture at a time.

Copy of Grief Is an Origami Swan: An Artbook About Grief with Origami paper on Michèle Saint-Michel’s desk

The process begins with the simple act of folding, as delicate creases transform a flat sheet of paper into a symbol of grace and transformation. Step-by-step instructions, accompanied by black-and-white nature illustrations and pressed florals, guide even the most novice of origami enthusiasts through the creation of a paper swan.

But Grief Is an Origami Swan is more than a how-to book. It is a space of invitation—welcoming readers to feel deeply, to fold slowly, to create something beautiful out of what aches. Saint-Michel reminds us that grief has no fixed shape, no expiration date. It is messy, cyclical, human—and worthy of our time and tenderness.

Drawing on Japanese aesthetics like Ma (the space between things) and wabi-sabi (the beauty in imperfection), Saint-Michel offers readers a chance to dwell in stillness and softness. Each swan folded becomes a moment spent with the one we miss—a small offering, a quiet tether.

As readers move through the pages of Grief Is an Origami Swan, they are invited to discover the slow healing that lives in repetition, in ritual, in paper. Grief, here, is not resolved but companioned—transformed through attention and care.

So let us begin this journey today, one fold at a time. Not toward forgetting, but toward remembering—gently, and with grace.

—

FAQ: Grief Is an Origami Swan by Michèle Saint-Michel

1. What inspired you to create "Grief is an Origami Swan: An Art Book About Grief"?

After experiencing a series of difficult losses in my own life, I found solace in the meditative art form of origami. The book was born out of my personal journey through grief, inspired by the seasonal lifecycle changes of deciduous trees and the transformative power of creating something beautiful out of pain.

2. How did you come up with the concept for the book's interior design?

Grief Is an Origami Swan: An Art Book About Grief
By Saint-Michel, Michèle
Buy on Amazon

The interior design of the book was inspired by the natural cycles of deciduous trees, mirroring the ebb and flow of grief. Each page reflects the changing seasons, offering readers a visual representation of the journey through loss and healing.

3. What has been the most unexpected aspect of publishing "Grief is an Origami Swan"?

I never anticipated the profound impact the book would have on readers. It has become a cherished gift passed between friends and family during some of life's most challenging times. The refrain "Grief has no timeline" has resonated deeply with many, offering a sense of freedom and solace in the midst of their pain.

4. Can you tell us about your experience leading Collective Grieving sessions?

Leading Collective Grieving sessions has been both challenging and rewarding. Holding space for others to share their stories of loss and grief has been a privilege and a gift. It's a journey I'm grateful to embark on alongside my readers and supporters.

5. How has the practice of folding paper swans enriched your life?

Folding paper swans as a way to honor those I've lost has been a deeply enriching practice. It's a tangible way to connect with their memory and find comfort in the midst of grief. The act of creation brings a sense of peace and healing, allowing me to channel my emotions into something beautiful.

6. Where can readers purchase "Grief is an Origami Swan"?

"Grief is an Origami Swan" is available on Amazon, Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, and can be requested from your local bookshop. Try Bookshop.org (US) or uk.Bookshop.org (UK). Also available at Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Walmart. Also, incredibly, the digital eBook version also available on Amazon (free to Amazon Prime subscribers)!

BULK BUYING OPTIONS | Purchase 5+ copies at a discounted rate by emailing Bad Saturn.

Thank you for your support and for sharing the message of this book. Together, we can show up for those we hold dear during and after times of loss.

tags: Books by Michèle Saint-Michel
Thursday 04.18.24
Posted by Michelle
 

Saint-Michel in Artists' Film & Moving Image Group Show, 'wolf Mad Mad'

Michèle Saint-Michel Unveils Axiogensis: Multi-Channel Video and New Sculptural Poem at A.P.T Gallery in South London

Axiogenesis II, 2024. ‘wolf Mad Mad’ APT Gallery.

South London, UK - March 18, 2024 - Artist Michèle Saint-Michel is set to debut her latest work, Axiogensis, for ‘wolf Mad Mad’ at A.P.T Gallery in Deptford, South London. The exhibition runs from March 21st to March 24th, 2024, with a Private View scheduled for Thursday, March 21st from 6pm to 8pm. All are cordially invited to attend this event.

Axiogenesis, a multi-channel video piece represents Saint-Michel's avant-garde exploration into the convergence of art and science. Free will, quantum mechanics, and anxiety for the future are threads in the work. Axiogenesis II, is a sculptural poem and something Saint-Michel calls ‘quantum poetry’.

This exhibition is part of the Artists Film and Moving Image Masters showcase, featuring works by emerging talents from Goldsmiths, University of London. Alongside Saint-Michel, artists such as Margo McEwen, indexthumb, Sarah ElMasry, Joshua Roberts, Patricia Craciun, Umi Ishihari, and Alina Gorlova will present their moving image works.

Throughout the exhibition, attendees will have the opportunity to engage with the artists directly through a series of enriching events.

Highlights include an Artist Talk on Saturday, March 23rd at 2pm, featuring insights from indexthumb, Margot McEwen, and Michèle Saint-Michel. At 3pm, Saint-Michel will lead a Somatic Micro-Workshop, inviting participants to explore movement and curiosity in a unique sensory experience.

A final Artist Talk on Sunday, March 24th at 2pm will showcase the works of Alina Gorlova/Tabor Collective, Sarah ElMasry, and Joshua Roberts, providing further depth into the creative minds shaping the future of art and moving image.

Event Details:

Exhibition Dates: March 21st - March 24th, 2024

Private View: Thursday, March 21st, 2024, 6pm - 8pm

Location: A.P.T Gallery, 6 Creekside, Deptford, London SE8 4SA

For more information about the exhibition and participating artists, please visit Artists Moving Image.

Wednesday 03.20.24
Posted by Michelle
 

Saint-Michel Included in Bittersweet Zine and the Cubitt Archive

Curators Evie Banks, Stephanie Chung & Margherita Ghella are recipients of the Cubitt Archive x Goldsmiths MFA Curating placement for 2023 - now in its eighth edition. 

Their work in the Cubitt archive initiated from an interest to make the archive more accessible, viewing it as a platform and catalyst for inter-subjective processes in which artists, curators, and the public join to co-create meanings and knowledge.

Stemming from an interest in queer ecologies and how networks form through gossip, their approach to the archive took the format of a zine, in which contributions from participants in Cubitt's rich history as well as from members of the public were collected and  intertwined as subjective histories snd forming playful composition.

Poetry filmmaker and artist, Michèle Saint-Michel was one of the artists selected for inclusion in the zine and the Cubitt archive.

In conclusion of their residency which started in Summer 2023, a launch event for the Bittersweet Zine will take place on Friday 1st March 2024, 6-9PM where members of the public are invited to speak with the designers and curators an further contribute to the Cubitt archive. 

About

Cubitt is an artist-led co-operative built on a belief in the value of art and artists in society. Cubitt enables contemporary visual arts practice to thrive as a critical, peer-led activity. This is achieved through the provision of co-operatively run studios in central London and unique development opportunities for curators interwoven with curatorial and artistic programmes, driven by an engagement with learning, participation and the social possibilities for art.

tags: Books by Michèle Saint-Michel
Friday 03.01.24
Posted by Michèle Saint-Michel
 

Saint-Michel's Graphic Score Performed at the Oregon New Music Festival

EUGENE DIFFICULT MUSIC ENSEMBLE TO PERFORM “SCORE FOR MEMORIES AND THE WEATHER IN MONTENEGRO” AT OREGON NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL

On October 15, 2023, the Eugene Difficult Music Ensemble will present a groundbreaking interpretation of the graphic score, "Score for Memories and the Weather in Montenegro," at the esteemed Oregon New Music Festival. This marks the second time this Fluxus-inspired composition will be brought to life by a talented ensemble, promising an immersive and avant-garde musical experience.

The score, conceived with Fluxus principles at its core, initiates with unconventional instructions that challenge the traditional boundaries of musical interpretation. Comprising 20 movements, each intricately woven with creativity, the composition draws inspiration from the profound essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson and the avant-garde graphic novel/experimental poetry work, "Saint Agatha Mother Redeemer" by Michèle Saint-Michel.

"Score for Memories and the Weather in Montenegro" is a fusion of Fluxus experimentation and literary influences, offering a unique auditory journey that transcends the conventional norms of musical expression. The Eugene Difficult Music Ensemble, known for their daring interpretations and commitment to pushing artistic boundaries, is poised to deliver a performance that not only captivates the audience but also challenges perceptions of what music can be.

Oregon New Music Festival, 2023

Attendees can expect a multisensory experience that engages with the essence of Emerson's profound reflections and Saint-Michel's avant-garde visual and literary explorations. The ensemble's dedication to embracing the spirit of Fluxus ensures that each movement is an invitation to explore the intersection of sound and meaning in a way that is both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant.

Listen to "Score for Memories” by Michèle Saint-Michel

Join us at the Oregon New Music Festival on October 15, 2023, as the Eugene Difficult Music Ensemble brings "Score for Memories and the Weather in Montenegro" to life once again, pushing the boundaries of contemporary music and offering a truly unforgettable artistic experience.

Monday 10.09.23
Posted by Michèle Saint-Michel
 

New Edition of Liner Notes for Getting Out Without Catching Fire Out Now

This high-legibility edition of ‘Liner Notes for Getting Out Without Catching Fire’ urges readers to embrace survivors' stories. Michèle Saint-Michel crafts a vibrant mosaic from shattered fragments, sculpting from diverse experiences and memories. With language that sparks like a flame, these free verse and ekphrastic poems glow, resonating with the brilliance of rising flames. Amidst its urgency and metaphysical slips, the collection illuminates the transformative power of feminine bonds, art, and music. Brave, devastating, and essential.

Liner Notes for Getting Out Without Catching Fire now available as a high-legibility edition in paperback (86 pages) and as digital ebook.

eBook edition for digital download. Also available as Standard (high-legibility) and Deluxe (illustrated) editions.

Standard edition:
ISBN: 979-8-9866429-7-0
Pages: 86

Request a copy from your independent bookseller or order online anywhere you prefer to buy books, but use these links to support our publisher, Bad Saturn.

Order Paperback
Download eBook
tags: Books by Michèle Saint-Michel
Tuesday 09.05.23
Posted by Michèle Saint-Michel
 

New Musical Album Based on the Work of Michèle Saint-Michel

Listen on Apple Music

Bad Saturn is proud to announce "Getting Out Without Catching Fire," a musical journey born from the pages of Michèle Saint-Michel's latest poetry collection. As an innovative platform that celebrates the fusion of books and music, Bad Saturn brings together a group of extraordinary artists who have masterfully responded to Michèle Saint-Michel's profound writings, resulting in an enchanting auditory experience that transcends boundaries.

Listen on Bandcamp

"Getting Out Without Catching Fire" features stunning compositions from a incredible roster of artists, including Sheena Dham, Hermon Mehari, Lina Dannov, Arun Sood, Sylvia Hinz, Eryk Salvaggio, James Fella, Silvia Cignoli, and three exceptional tracks contributed by Sophie Stone.

In this unique collaboration, each artist skillfully delved into the poetic verses of "Liner Notes for Getting Out Without Catching Fire," drawing inspiration from its raw emotions and thought-provoking themes to craft their sonic works. The result is a captivating synergy between the written word and musical expression, inviting listeners into a realm of emotion and self-discovery.

To commemorate this momentous release, Bad Saturn and Michèle Saint-Michel are thrilled to invite you to an online listening party via Bandcamp. Join us on August 3, 2023, at 8:00 pm UK / 2:00 pm CST for an enchanting evening, where we will immerse ourselves in the sounds of the album while engaging in insightful conversations with many of the artists.

Listen on Spotify
Thursday 08.03.23
Posted by Michèle Saint-Michel
 

Saint-Michel Featured on Cybernetic Forests

From Eryk Salvaggio of Cybernetic Forests: Michèle and I connected a while before collaborating on a musical companion piece to her latest collection of poems, Liner Notes from Getting Out Without Catching Fire. The album, Getting Out Without Catching Fire, collects musical responses to poems and themes in the book. It features a diverse roster of artists, including Sheena Dham, Hermon Mehari, Lina Dannov, Arun Sood, Sylvia Hinz, James Fella, Silvia Cignoli, myself, and three tracks contributed by Sophie Stone.

This interview covers a range of topics, from the tensions of technology as poetic metaphor to links between trauma, grief, and artmaking — and whether or not generative AI is a remix, or something else.

Sunday 07.30.23
Posted by Michèle Saint-Michel
 

Liner Notes for Getting Out Without Catching Fire by Michèle Saint-Michel Out Now

Liner Notes for Getting Out Without Catching Fire: Deluxe Edition by Michèle Saint-Michel. Link to buy
Also showing the related experimental album “Getting Out Without Catching Fire” and the Standard Edition as eBook.

July 25th, 2023 — Michèle Saint-Michel, an artist known for her interdisciplinary works that seamlessly blend poetry, visual art, and profound reflections on contemporary society, has released her highly anticipated poetry collection, "Liner Notes for Getting Out Without Catching Fire". The book, now available in 11 countries worldwide on Amazon, marks a new chapter in Saint-Michel's artistic journey, inviting readers to explore the intricate tapestry of modern relationships and the delicate connection of survivorship in the after.

To celebrate the book launch, Michèle Saint-Michel hosted a book signing event and art talk at the renown Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art on the evening of July 25th, 2023. The event was met with enthusiasm, attended by art enthusiasts, literature aficionados, and curious minds eager to witness the culmination of Saint-Michel's intermedia approach.

During the evening event, visitors had the unique opportunity to purchase "Liner Notes for Getting Out Without Catching Fire" and receive personalized signed copies from the artist herself. Attendees were also treated to a captivating and immersive experience as they were guided through the art of folding origami swans, a symbolic gesture representing themes of resilience and transformation from Saint-Michel’s first book, “Grief is an Origami Swan”.

Liner Notes for Getting Out Without Catching Fire: Deluxe Edition by Michèle Saint-Michel. Link to buy

The highlight of the night was an illuminating art talk by Michèle Saint-Michel, where she graciously shared insights into her artistic practice, her inspirations, and the creative process behind the powerful poems that grace the pages of her latest collection. From the intricacies of weaving together words and images to the underlying messages that resonate throughout her work, the art talk provided a window into the heart and mind of a masterful artist.

Adding to the allure of the event, visitors had the opportunity to explore the Albrecht-Kemper Museum's new exhibition featuring women artists from their esteemed collection. This synergy of female artistic expression complemented Saint-Michel's poetry collection, offering a profound and enriching experience that celebrated the voices of women in the arts.

Liner Notes for Getting Out Without Catching Fire: Deluxe Edition by Michèle Saint-Michel. Link to buy

Finding harmony amidst discord, "Liner Notes for Getting Out Without Catching Fire" offers readers a multi-dimensional and layered experience, tapping into the intricacies of close relationships and the complexities of survivorship. The collection delves deep into the transformative power of art, the emotional resonance of music, and the enigmatic nature of the quantum world to create a reflection on the enduring impact of the past and the hope of liberation in possible futures.

With the book now available to a global audience through Amazon, readers from around the world can embark on this remarkable poetic odyssey penned by an artist at the forefront of creative expression.

For more information about Michèle Saint-Michel's "Liner Notes for Getting Out Without Catching Fire," please visit Amazon US. To stay updated on future events and the artist's latest works, follow Michèle Saint-Michel on Instagram @michelesaintmichel.

Order the Deluxe Edition paperback

About Michèle Saint-Michel:

Michèle Saint-Michel is a trailblazing artist whose works blend poetry, visual art, and performance, pushing the boundaries of artistic expression. Through her creations, Saint-Michel invites audiences to reflect on the intricate tapestry of human experiences and our shared connection with the natural world.

Request a copy from your independent bookseller or order online anywhere you prefer to buy books, but use these links to support our publisher, Bad Saturn.

tags: Books by Michèle Saint-Michel
Friday 07.28.23
Posted by Michelle
 

Michèle Saint-Michel Shares Insights on Processing Grief Through Origami on "The Power of Love Show"

Los Angeles, CA – Author Michèle Saint-Michel recently appeared as a guest on the popular podcast, "The Power of Love Show" by the Dee Dee Johnson Foundation. Hosted by TJ and Taj Jackson, the podcast delves into topics related to love, healing, and personal growth. During the episode, Michèle captivated listeners with her profound wisdom and discussed her transformative book, "Grief is an Origami Swan," shedding light on the power of origami as a means to navigate through the complex journey of grief.

With "Grief is an Origami Swan," Michèle Saint-Michel has touched the hearts of readers worldwide. Her book serves as a poignant exploration of the grief process and presents origami as a unique tool for emotional healing. Through her appearance on "The Power of Love Show," Michèle shared her invaluable insights, offering listeners a glimpse into her captivating world of origami and its potential to facilitate profound emotional transformations.

During the interview, Michèle eloquently described the symbolism of the origami swan and its representation of grief. She delved into the profound connections between the meticulous folding of paper and the intricate layers of emotions experienced in the grieving process. Michèle's personal journey through grief, coupled with her love for origami, provided listeners with a remarkable perspective on how art can serve as a catalyst for healing and self-discovery.

The conversation with TJ and Taj Jackson showcased Michèle's eloquence and her deep understanding of the human experience. As an internationally recognized expert in the field of origami and grief processing, Michèle Saint-Michel left a lasting impression on the hosts and the show's audience, offering solace and inspiration to those grappling with grief.

In "Grief is an Origami Swan," Michèle Saint-Michel's words resonate with readers on a profound level, encouraging them to embrace the transformative power of creativity as they navigate the tumultuous seas of grief. By integrating the ancient art of origami into the healing process, Michèle demonstrates the resilience of the human spirit and how, through artistry and mindfulness, one can find solace and regain a sense of hope.

"The Power of Love Show" continues to bring inspiring voices to its listeners, providing a platform for heartfelt conversations and empowering messages. Michèle Saint-Michel's appearance on the podcast is a testament to the show's commitment to sharing stories of triumph over adversity and illuminating the paths towards healing and personal growth.

For more information about Michèle Saint-Michel and her gorgeous book, "Grief is an Origami Swan," please visit her website at www.michelesaintmichel.com. To listen to the insightful episode of "The Power of Love Show" featuring Michèle, visit the podcast's official website at www.powerofloveshow.com.

About Michèle Saint-Michel:

Michèle Saint-Michel is an author and filmmaker, recognized for her heartfelt work in integrating the art form of Origami into the process of healing and grief. Through her transformative book, "Grief is an Origami Swan," Michèle has touched the lives of countless individuals, providing them with a pathway towards healing and self-discovery.


Listen on Apple Podcasts

Listen on Listen Notes

Watch the Video Cast on YouTube

Wednesday 07.19.23
Posted by Michèle Saint-Michel
 

"Voluntary Currents" Explores Memory and Collaboration at International Trucking Service Gallery

The International Trucking Service Gallery presented "Voluntary Currents," the debut solo exhibition by multidisciplinary artist Amber Wilcox. The exhibition, which featured a captivating collection of mixed-media artwork, opened its doors to the public on Friday, June 2, 2023, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, at the gallery's downtown location on 803 Francis Street.

"Voluntary Currents" served as a compelling exploration of memory, nostalgia, and the human experience through Amber Wilcox's unique artistic lens. Inspired by Missouri settings, Wilcox masterfully blended various mediums, including paper, paper pulp, ink, painting, and soft sculpture, to create intricate compositions that captivated the viewers' imagination.

In addition to her solo work, "Voluntary Currents" featured a collaborative video installation with experimental filmmaker Michèle Saint-Michel. This immersive collaboration further expanded the boundaries of Wilcox's artistic practice, combining visual and cinematic elements to create a truly unique and captivating experience for visitors.

The opening night event was an unforgettable celebration of art, creativity, and collaboration. Attendees had the opportunity to meet Amber Wilcox, experience her captivating mixed-media artwork, and engage with the collaborative video installation created in partnership with Michèle Saint-Michel.

"Voluntary Currents" is on display at the International Trucking Service Gallery through the end of August. Art enthusiasts, collectors, and the general public were invited to explore the profound depths of Amber Wilcox's artistic vision and immerse themselves in the evocative world of "Voluntary Currents."

Tuesday 07.11.23
Posted by Michèle Saint-Michel
 

A Glimpse into the Grieving Hearts of Swans

In the serene world of swans, where elegance meets tranquility, there exists a depth of emotion that often goes unnoticed, the profound grief experienced by these majestic birds when faced with loss.

Swans are not just symbols of grace and beauty; they are also paragons of devotion and loyalty. When a mate or offspring is lost, swans embark on a journey of mourning that speaks volumes about their tender hearts and unwavering commitment.

One of the most striking displays of swan grief is observed when a mate passes away. Rather than swiftly moving on, the surviving swan often enters a state of profound sorrow. They may linger at the site of their partner's demise, refusing to leave, as if holding onto the memories that once filled their shared space with joy and love.

In cases where cygnets are present, the surviving parent takes on the role of both mother and father, shouldering the responsibilities of nurturing and protecting their young ones with an unmatched sense of dedication. This selfless act of love is a testament to the depth of emotion that swans harbor within their graceful frames.

What is perhaps most remarkable about swans' grieving process is its duration. These birds do not simply mourn for a fleeting moment; they carry the weight of their loss with them for an extended period, honoring the memory of their departed loved ones with every beat of their hearts.

Grief Is an Origami Swan: An Art Book About Grief
By Saint-Michel, Michèle
Buy on Amazon

Inspiration drawn from the profound grief of swans finds its way into the artistic realm as well. Michèle Saint-Michel's celebrated book, "Grief Is an Origami Swan," beautifully captures the essence of loss and transformation. Inspired by the meditative process of Origami paper folding and the graceful symbolism of swans, Saint-Michel weaves a poignant refrain: you make sense and your grief is valid. The title speaks to the universal experience of grief and the hope that emerges from its depths.

In a world where grief is often hidden behind stoic facades, the grieving hearts of swans serve as a poignant reminder of the universality of loss and the enduring power of love. As we witness these noble creatures navigate the tumultuous waters of sorrow, we are granted a glimpse into the profound emotional landscape that exists within them, a landscape marked by unseen tears and unspoken longing.

In honoring the grief of swans, we honor the complexity of our own emotions and the depth of our connections with those we hold dear. May we learn from these graceful guardians of the waterways and embrace the full spectrum of human experience, from joy to sorrow and everything in between.

Let us tread lightly upon the shores where swans mourn, offering our silent support and acknowledging the beauty that arises from even the darkest depths of grief. For in the tender hearts of these noble birds, we find a reflection of our own capacity to love, to mourn, and ultimately, to heal.

 
Sunday 04.02.23
Posted by Michelle
 

London's Hypha Studios Exhibits 'Concealer' by Michèle Saint-Michel

‘Concealer’ by Michèle Saint-Michel as part of Loess Collective at Hypha Studios, London, UK through March, 2023.

Concealer (2023)
Michèle Saint-Michel
36 compact mirrors opened to 225°
180x180cm

The London-based artist collective Loess Collective, recently held Taste the Difference Pt.2, a mixed media show at Hypha Studios in London’s East Village. The exhibition featured painting, sculpture, performance, installation, and interactive installations, which offered visitors a chance to explore their own experiences and emotions in a creative and immersive way.

One of the standout pieces of the exhibition was Michèle Saint-Michel’s installation piece, ‘Concealer’. The readymade work used 36 compact mirrors arranged in a large, 180x180cm square. The mirrors were displayed open to 225°, causing viewers to disappear as they walked past.

The installation piece was on display through 10 March, 2023.

Hypha Studios opening and private view, London, 2023

Thursday 02.23.23
Posted by Michelle
 

The Daily Brit Features Get Living, Hypha Studios, and Loess Collective with Michèle Saint-Michel

Get Living, the UK’s leading build-to-rent operator, has partnered with Hypha Studios, a charity matching creatives with empty spaces for free, to reimagine a former Sainsbury’s store into a unique space for emerging design talent at East Village, London.

Centred around the themes of design and community living, this new space will showcase a series of artists and exhibitions and cement East Village as the gateway to East London’s creative district, further supporting Get Living’s strategy in creating an inclusive and sustainable urban neighbourhood for all to enjoy.

The first two exhibitions, in a continued series of artist takeovers, will be installed at 50 Celebration Avenue, East Village and available to the public from 27 January.

The two unique gallery spaces will showcase curated and immersive works by local artists and emerging talent from Goldsmith University students. As part of the residency, the artists will also engage with the local community as well as exhibiting their work.

As a nod to the British supermarket chain which previously occupied the premises, Loess Collective – a team of Goldsmiths University postgraduates – will display: ‘Taste the Difference.’

The satirical, food-centred show comprising painting, sculpture, performance, installation, and multimedia will be showcased alongside and exhibition titled ‘Who holds the sword?’ Curated by three female visual artists, this immersive exhibition of work challenges traditional gender norms via a contemporary medieval focus heralding medieval times.

The exhibitions will be open to the public from 27th January until 26th February and 10th March 2023 respectively. [See notes to editors for more details].

East London is already emerging as the new capital for material innovation, biotech and sustainable luxury, and Get Living’s East Village serves as the gateway for creative industries and purposeful living. Hypha Studios’ takeover of the former Sainsbury’s retail unit as a free creative spaces for local artists follows on from the success of The Lab E20, East Village’s flagship for community led co-creation – with a focus on positive fashion, climate action and the circular economy – which opened in summer 2021.

Camilla Cole, Founder of Hypha Studios, said: “Creativity is central to many communities, and our newest design studio in Stratford’s East Village, will bring new life to a vacant commercial space, transforming the unit into a not-for-profit gallery and exhibition space for local and emerging talent.

“Our open call for artists drew fantastic applications from the immediate locality, and further afield. In the exhibitions coming over the next few months, we will be working with artists who have connections to Stratford and East London, offering them an incredible canvas within a vibrant community, which will hugely boost their creative careers.

“East Village is a fantastic location for the new and historic local communities, and with great travel connections we really hope that the exhibitions will also draw new visitors to the area. With its deep cultural history, Stratford is becoming a new creative hub for London and Hypha Studios is excited to be working with Get Living to bring a series of exhibitions to E20.”

Richard Allen, Head of Retail at Get Living adds: “The arts and creative industries are at the heart of our societies, and we feel passionately that they should be accessible for all within our neighbourhoods. Working with Hypha Studios is a natural partnership for Get Living. Reimaging a former, unused, retail unit for local artists in a truly innovative way to drive social value and support our mission to bring people together in inspiring spaces.

“This carefully curated turnkey of artists and designers will join and network an already eclectic neighbourhood of creatives and vibrant mix of individual and independent retailers within the village.”

Hypha Studios will be in residence in East Village throughout 2023, delivering an artistic series through to summer.

For more information visit www.getliving.com/hypha-studios

Source: https://thedailybrit.co.uk/get-living-coll...
Monday 01.23.23
Posted by Michelle
 

A Satirical and Playful Show: Loess Collective Presents “Taste the Difference”

FADMagazine, London, UK

In danger, the sea-cucumber divides itself in two (2023). 9 min. Color, Silent. Installation view, Hypha Studios, 2023

A captivating mixed media exhibition recently took place, showcasing a diverse range of art forms. Hosted at the Stratford venue in London, this exhibit allowed visitors to discover a subterranean world of unique sculptures that took inspiration from the underground pipelines in site-specific contexts.

Along with the striking sculptures, interactive installations were available, enabling visitors to indulge in sensory awakenings that played on emotional memory. The exhibition offered screenings of sound and film works that investigated human relationships to the natural world.

An exceptional piece within the exhibit was Michèle Saint-Michel's moving image work, 'In danger, the sea-cucumber divides itself in two' (2023). This 9-minute film played on a large Panasonic monitor in vivid color, capturing the attention of visitors and immersing them in the artist's unique vision on the sea floor.

The exhibition was made possible by Hypha Studios, with support from Get Living, East Village London, and Goldsmiths Exhibition Hub.

Source: https://fadmagazine.com/2023/01/19/loess-c...
Friday 01.20.23
Posted by Michèle Saint-Michel
 
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