Art & Artists

Like many museums around the world, Remai Modern has closed as part of a broad response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although our program has been suspended, artists remain at the forefront of our thoughts. The museum has reached out to artists involved in our programming to gather their perspectives on the experience of these unprecedented times.

Bridget Moser

Friday, May 1, 2020. 2:56 PM

1. Where are you? What can you tell us about your current living situation, or the conditions in your neighbourhood/city?

I am in Toronto, a city I’ve lived in for the past 7.5 years. I live with my partner and my cat downtown on a slightly quieter street near Yonge and College. Our apartment building was constructed in the early 90s and overlooks a courtyard surrounded by about 4 other apartments and co-op high rises. It’s finally getting warm enough now that people are spending more time on their balconies, which reminds me of what I love about this area—that you can spend time alone but still feel the presence of other people, so it doesn’t feel lonely. Otherwise, the regular foot traffic and street traffic around here has diminished substantially.

2. How are you continuing your practice during this time?

I am not really continuing my practice during this time, so far. I’ve had difficulty focusing. It’s also been challenging thinking about making work when a lot of the work I make requires people to be in the same room with me at the same time. Some of the hosts of cancelled upcoming performances very generously adapted quickly to create opportunities to present live work digitally, but I just didn’t see it being the right fit for what I do. Instead I have been trying to take care of whatever my brain seems to want each day, and I’m still working part-time from home at my day job.

3. What things or ideas are you finding comfort in right now?

I made a sweater during the first five weeks of quarantine. We’ve decided to have one Thanksgiving dinner each month because cooking is a nice way to pass the time, and we also only eat plant-based food so I enjoy the thrill of the challenge. I FaceTime with my parents, who live just outside Vancouver, about once a week. I’ve also been talking to friends on the phone for hours at a time lately. Sometimes I play the Sims for many hours at a time where I live life as a millionaire dragon fruit farmer. And in real life, I drink really nice wine.

4. What artworks, music, books, or films have been in your mind during this time?  

We’ve almost finished watching all of Twin Peaks, Fire Walk With Me, and Twin Peaks: The Return. It’s been really ideal to watch it all back to back over a condensed timeline. I have been spending a lot of time with the Real Housewives of New York City, Vanderpump Rules, Law & Order SVU and Dr. Phil (but only the episodes taped pre-quarantine in the studio and definitely none of the ones about COVID, and I can’t barely stand even those after what he said about prioritizing the economy over people’s lives). Sometimes you just need trash.

5. What are you letting go of? What are you holding on to? 

Astrologically speaking, I’m a Cancer, so I can’t let go of literally anything. But actually having said that, a number of upcoming performances and projects were cancelled and there has been something really helpful in letting them go. It’s been a long time since I’ve taken much of a break and I think it’s been good to go with that and to give myself time to process what’s going on right now. I am holding onto my partner and my cat.

6. What are you looking forward to?   

I mean, to be honest, I can’t think of anything except a vaccine. I know that I’m meant to be thinking about “after that” here. But after reading the news every day and having a close friend’s parent fighting COVID over the past four weeks it feels very difficult to conceptualize an “after” until we really know it’s coming. Most sincerely I hope that we don’t return to normal since normal wasn’t working very well for everyone. I would love to be able to perform again. I would love to run into a friend on the street and hug them. But I can wait until it’s without the possibility of unwittingly getting someone sick.

Biography

Bridget Moser is a performance and video artist whose work is suspended between prop comedy, experimental theatre, performance art, absurd literature, existential anxiety and intuitive dance. My Crops Are Dying But My Body Persists, her first solo exhibition at a major museum, was scheduled to open at Remai Modern in March. Although the exhibition was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she generously made the video available online.