Lament. Toronto Nuit Blanche 2018

Lament is a sound and video installation that takes its inspiration from a 1969 poem of the same name by renowned Toronto artist bpNichol.

Created collaboratively by video artist Tal Rosner and composer Christopher Mayo, the work is an homage to bpNichol that incorporates the techniques of repetition and abstraction which are at the heart of the poet’s intent, both in style of writing and in performance.

With an integration of music, spoken word, images, animations, and video, Lament highlights the repeated text “you are city hall, my people,” and investigates the inherent themes of the poem: civic politics and the responsibility of each citizen for the actions of their government. The project realises bpNichol’s original ambition for the work, which was to deliver this poem over the loudspeaker system at Toronto City Hall.