If last year was any indication, this year’s Power Ball was sure to be amazing once again. Held at Canada’s leading contemporary art gallery on June 5th, The Power Plant, Power Ball 2014 welcomed over 1,500 guests who came to support the exhibitions and programs that the Power Plant holds every year.
This year’s theme “Old/New World” celebrates the transition between the analogue world and the digital world we live in today. The main area exuded this old world/new world theme with CONFETTISYSTEM’s installation of hanging golden tinsels evoking the 1970s, but cut in very modern sharp right angles. The attendees also embraced this theme wholeheartedly with the fashion on display that night. Some chose to go very futuristic, going with interesting silhouettes and shapes. Others dressed according to their favourite past decade, whether it be the roaring twenties, or the disco era seventies, or any other pre-digital era. A cool accessory for the women was a computer circuit board used as a hairpiece or jewellery.
Art was at the forefront of this event of course. There was a private performance of Gramophonica by award-winning English British artist Naomi Kashiwagi, which resonated deeply with Power Ball’s theme. In this performance, Kashiwagi took 78rpm records re-appropriated with electrical tape, and “glitched” them on a wind up gramophone. This produced distortions, amplifications, crackles, and other sounds, reminiscent of today’s hip hop or techno music. There was an area for B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own Beamer) – where artists showcased their work via digital projectors. Other participating artists included Christine Davis, Jon Rafman, and Oli Sorenson.
Food and drink were abundant throughout the night. On arrival you immediately notice the playful candy bar where you can box your own assortment of confectionary. Directly opposite is one of no less than six drink bars, each of which has unique cocktails based on different liquors from Don Julio Tequila to Tanqueray Gin to Ciroc Vodka. Beer was from Kronenbourg 1664 – my personal favourite. There were pulled pork sandwiches, wings, cheese and crackers, charcuterie, quiches, and even hotdogs with a station for gourmet toppings.
Power Ball is the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery’s largest annual fundraiser, and it shows. We love Power Ball, not just because it’s one of the year’s best parties, but more importantly because of what it supports, celebrates and promotes – art, and artists who create and inspire. We look forward to next year’s Power Ball, which is sure to be again the year’s biggest and best arts bash.
For more information:
http://www.thepowerplant.org
Twitter: @ThePowerPlantTO #PowerBallTO
Also, check out our coverage of Power Ball in previous years:
Power Ball 2013
Power Ball 2012
More Photos by Nick Lee and John Tan
- Dwayne Kennedy, Alison Slight | Photo: Nick Lee
- Power Plant Director Gaëtane Verna and Stephen Delaney | Photo: Nick Lee
- Photo: Nick Lee
- Gail McInnes, Dwayne Kennedy, Susan Langdon | Photo: Nick Lee
- R: Jeremy Laing | Photo: Nick Lee
- Clara Venice | Photo: Nick Lee
- L: Mel Ashcroft | Photo: Nick Lee
- Don Julio cocktails | Photo: Nick Lee
- Adriana Lombardo | Photo: Nick Lee
- Circuit boards | Photo: Nick Lee
- Photo: Nick Lee
- R: Claire Taylor | Photo: Nick Lee
- Photo: Nick Lee
- Photo: Nick Lee
- Photo: Nick Lee
- Natalie Deane, Lauren Toyota, Tarek | Photo: Nick Lee
- Yael Kanter, Dan Kanter, Phoebe Dykstra | Photo: Nick Lee
- Veronica Chail | Photo: Nick Lee
- Lauren Toyota, Phoebe Dykstra | Photo: Nick Lee
- Lauren Toyota, Phoebe Dykstra | Photo: Nick Lee
- Photo: Nick Lee
- Photo: Nick Lee
- Photo: Nick Lee
- Power Ball Committee | Photo: Nick Lee
- Photo: Nick Lee
- Actresses Ann Pirvu and Lara Jean Chorostecki wearing flapper dresses | Photo: Nick Lee
- Photo: Nick Lee
- Photo: Nick Lee
- Photo: Nick Lee
- Vaseline | Photo: Nick Lee
- Nicki Laborie, Ayman | Photo: Nick Lee
- Photo: Nick Lee
- Demi Sacks, Alison Slight, Laurent Fort, Candice Chan | Photo: Nick Lee
- Alison Slight, Candice Chan | Photo: Nick Lee
- Amira de Vera, Kevin Pennant, Cynthia Mulligan | Photo: Nick Lee
- Power Plant Director Gaëtane Verna | Photo: Nick Lee
- Catherine Sugrue, Julio Reyes, Amira de Vera | Photo: Nick Lee
- Julio Reyes, Nicki Laborie, Catherine Sugrue, Daniel Desforges | Photo: Nick Lee
- Laurent Fort, Georgia Scherman | Photo: Nick Lee
- Amira de Vera, Cynthia Mulligan | Photo: Nick Lee
- Photo: Nick Lee
- Photo: Nick Lee
- Photo: Nick Lee
- Don Julio booth | Photo: Nick Lee
- Photo: Nick Lee
- Ciroc Vodka | Photo: Nick Lee
- CONFETTISYSTEM | Photo: Nick Lee
- Photo: Nick Lee
- Photo: Nick Lee
- Power Ball volunteers: Helen Crispin and Elnora
- Photo: Nick Lee
- B.Y.O.B – Bring Your Own Beamer | Photo: Nick Lee
- Photo: Nick Lee
- Photo: Nick Lee
- Photo: Nick Lee
- Photo: Nick Lee
- Photo: Nick Lee
- Photo: Nick Lee
- Photo: Nick Lee
- Photo: Nick Lee
- Power Plant | Photo: Nick Lee
- CONFETTISYSTEM’s art installation hanging over the crowd | Photo: John Tan
- Power Plant Director Gaëtane Verna being interviewed by CityTV | Photo: John Tan
- Photo: John Tan
- Photo: John Tan
- Candy Bar | Photo: John Tan
- Artist Naomi Kashiwagi performing Gramophonica | Photo: John Tan
- Power Plant Director Gaëtane Verna | Photo: John Tan
- Photo: John Tan
- Photo: John Tan
- Photo: John Tan
- Photo: John Tan
- Photo: John Tan
- Photo: John Tan
- Photo: John Tan
- CONFETTISYSTEM’s art installation | Photo: John Tan