Temporary Projects, permanent love of the arts

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[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/historythathappened.jpg” caption=”History That Happened Or Was Dreamed, an exhibition of photo, video and musical work, will open Friday at Temporary Projects. The gallery was opened by art history and communication studies student Dorian Batycka in downton Hamilton’s Sonic Unyon building.”]Like many of the artists who are a part of James Street North's burgeoning art scene,
Dorian Batycka is into a little bit of everything.

A musician, composer, filmmaker, DJ and artist, Batycka does much of his work at his
home-away-from-home: Temporary Projects, a gallery and workspace located inside
the iconic Sonic Unyon building in downtown Hamilton.

Supported by the salary Batycka earns as an art history and communication studies TA,
Temporary Projects is also home to a weekly gathering of philosophy students,
musicians (including McMaster's own cybernetic laptop orchestra) and numerous art
exhibitions – the newest of which will open Friday.

The show, called History That Happened Or Was Dreamed, was organized by a number
of artists, including art history and communication studies student Ariel Bader-Shamai.
It will focus mainly on analog photography, but the show will also include digital print
manipulations and musical accompaniment.

“Film photography is just so much more hands-on,” said Bader-Shamai. “It actually
creates tangible objects, and they can sometimes contain mistakes, which is OK.”

The exhibition will be Bader-Shamai's first.

“I'm nervous, but I'm also super excited,” she said.

Though the gallery is quickly becoming part of James Street North's cultural fabric,
Batycka didn't set out with that in mind.

“I just needed a place for myself and my friends to work,” he said. “But I think it's
important that more places like this develop. Just come, hang out, listen to free music
and have a good time.”

Batycka opened the gallery after returning to Hamilton from Europe, where he had spent
time in Amsterdam and Venice on exchange through the Faculty of Humanities.

“McMaster really gave me a foundation and allowed me to meet a lot of interesting
people,” he said. “It taught me to 'think global and act local', which is what I try to do
with Temporary Projects.”

History That Happened Or Was Dreamed opens Friday, January 13 during the James
Street North art crawl. The Sonic Unyon building is located at 22 Wilson Street, just east
of James.