Overview
You’ve never seen LOOK like this before. Celebrating the tenth anniversary of LOOK and Contemporary Calgary, this year’s fundraising event redefined what it means to experience art.
Our design took a twist as we transported guests into a whimsical display of Dadaism. The night was a whiplash of bold colours and fashion, unexpected visuals, and eccentric performances.
The tone was set as One Yellow Rabbit’s Maezy Reign and Sarah Ord ushered guests into the main event with a bemusing, wailing spoken word performance. All around, costumed models donning wild masks, costumes and stilts spilled from the roof to the scaffolding, welcoming guests and setting the scene.
Inside, we transformed Contemporary Calgary into a surreal landscape with mind-bending decor and unexpected details. With audiovisual by Encore Canada, lights and sounds pulsed while screens flickered with Dada imagery. Life-sized decor pieces–a gummy bear, makeshift guitar, and vintage phone booth–served as photo ops as guests moved through the rooms.
The absurdism carried through to the dining tables, where Hotel Arts crafted an incredible dinner served in dustpans and other oddities next to centrepieces dreamed up by the brilliant FaBLOOMosity, made from dismantled instruments and mannequin limbs topped with abstract florals. The effect was an unexpected dining moment that doubled as a conversation starter.
Throughout the night, guests were treated to captivating performances, jumping from spoken word poetry to a Holt Renfrew fashion show by MODE Models International, and incredible music by Kaizaa. Each moment felt unconnected to the next, leaving guests on their toes and immersed in the chaotic essence of the theme.
To sink our teeth into the challenge of working with a theme that is anti-art at its core, our team had to answer, “How do designers create anti-art?”
It took the trust and collaboration of each partner to toss the rulebook out the window and bring the night together. In the chaos of design pieces, disassembled mannequin parts, and our most absurd props yet, an immersive dive into Dadaism was born.
In full collaboration with Contemporary Calgary, we were able to cross lines and create a shock factor not often in the same realm as the word fundraiser. The impact was a night as provocative as it was impactful, reminding everyone in attendance of Contemporary Calgary’s firm grasp on the transformative power of art.
Impact
In a testament to the power of art to transform and inspire, the evening raised a record-breaking $2.2 million in support of Contemporary Calgary.
We took guests on a truly unique experience not just in our city but across North America. Contemporary Calgary consistently proves to be a standout destination for modern art, and it was incredible to partner with them to break event norms and showcase their spirit of innovation.
Photo Credit
Victoria Cimolini
Phil Crozier
