The project titled You And I Are Water Earth Fire Air Of Life And Death began simply as a modest 12-word text piece and then quickly became a 12-year long media broadcast event. Each year focuses on one word of the sentence and manifests into a yearly 12-hour event on December 12 from 12 noon to 12 midnight. So far, this sprawling curatorial endeavor has featured 89 artists from 11 countries across 5 continents.
The main host for the first edition, You (2020), was Resonance Extra (London, UK). Arraymusic (Toronto) hosted the next two editions, And (2021) and I (2022). This year’s edition, Are (2023), will be held in Québec City and Avatar will be the main host institution. The entire 12 hours will live streamed as well as screened at the Cinéma Beaumont in Québec-City's Méduse complex.
As mentioned, this year the word is ‘Are’, consequently the focus will be on plurals: multiplicities leading to infinities, polymorphs and polyglots, surrounded sounds, layers upon layers, etceteras upon etceteras. New this year is the inclusion of a subtitle: (Sommes Sonnes)—this translates from the French simply to ‘are sounds’. Also new this year, Myriam Lambert and Alexandre St-Onge are joining Christof Migone on the curatorial side.