2019

Garbage Conglomerate Theater 

The Garbage Conglomerate Theatre (GCT)is the site for several of Jen O’Connor’s artworks and performances. 

It hosted Trash Talk, the FAN Network, a performance entitled the Spirit of Colonialism and The Puke. 

GCT was made entierly out of free, found and savanged materials, mainly garbage. The awning was crafted by sewing together a large collection of old paintings that the artist had accumulated in the process of developing her painting practice. The platform was built from recycled wood scavanged from the institutional garbage left by the Emily Carr University, specifically a crate used to transport an object for the on campus gallery. The framing for the awning was acheived by pouring bamboo into concrete cinder blocks and tying the skeleton together with wire. 

The GCT had a turbulent existance as it was exposed to theft, harsh weather and possible sabotage. Often the artist would visit the site to deliver materials at night and it would be occupied, taking on a life of it’s own. The night of October 17th 2019 saw a disaterous wind storm that transformed the awning into a sail and resulted in the fracturing of the bamboo support structure. The parts were salvanged and the structure repaired to last until a final performance entitled ‘The Spirit of Colonialism’ performed on Novemeber 28th 2019. Inexplicably, the awning was taken that night and on the 29th the theater was found empty. The massive awning had been taken along with essential support beams, bamboo sticks measuring upwards of 12 feet. With these materials gone the theater productions halted for the time being. In January 2020 a smaller version of GCT was assembled from the leftover paintings from students at Emily Carr  and the remaining cinderblocks and bamboo posts. This became the FAN Network Newstand and lasted until it too was removed by the unknown on Feburary 14th 2020.