The confessional and the conceptual (artist) It’s a Wednesday morning in October and I’m in the confessional at St. Michael’s Church. I’ve never been inside a holy booth before and neither has Nadja Sayej, who is also stuffed inside the single person space. Though there are a few things we may be guilty of, neither of us fessing up to any of them. The conversation, instead, is all about art.
Sayej knows a thing or two about the topic. She went to OCAD a few years back, but decided she’d rather write about art than make it. After dropping out of Ryerson (partially because its J School neglects arts reporting) Savej started freelancing for the Globe and Mail, the Gazette, and the New York Times.
After some editorial switch ups at the Globe, Sayej cooked up a new plan: to become an internet phenomena. Her vehicle of choice is the video blog Art Stars, which chronicles the on-goings of Toronto’s gallery opening scene. Created with the help of Jeremy Bailey and Ryan Edwards, Art Stars is an all-on attack on art world pretension.
Sayej admits she was once a Belmont-smoking, coffee drinking art kid with an all black wardrobe, but says she’s grown tired of all of art’s clichés. Now Sayej dresses up in crayon coloured tops, sparkling vintage jumpers, and the occasional set of hooker heels. She even sports bright blue Buddy Holly glasses, though she swears she needs those to see.
Art Stars is one part Borat, and another serious arts reporting. Everything about the vlog, from its ‘80s arcade graphics to Sayej’s wild wardrobe, is firmly tongue in cheek. But Sayej still asks tough questions, and often ones others are afraid to ask, like, What could this exhibit possibly mean?? Or to those opening attendees only wiling to spout off positive reviews: Is there anything you don’t like??
In the confessional booth the tables are turned, and I’m the one asking the questions. We talk about the dismal salary of the arts reporter, Art Stars' plans to attack Yorkville, and the indie rockers and it girls who can be seen guzzling free beer at downtown art openings. Eventually I hear footsteps, and decide to make a swift exit before the Catholic who asked us to move our interview from the central pews can catch a glimpse of our second on-site location. Then it's out the door and into the morning sunlight to watch Sayej bike away.
A week later I join Sayej, Bailey, and Edwards for a taping of the vlog’s signature *snaps*. Like clowns out of a car, new costumes keep coming out of Sayej’s small bag. First a black ensemble with a single glove, then a fur-covered jacket, and finally the reveal: a red pencil skirt and a black bra. Once dressed (or undressed), Sayej goes about her business, snapping, posing, and playing.
As Bailey and Edwards are filming and shouting out suggestions, I’m rapidly snapping photos. In all, I take almost 600. The shots are edited and assembled over Sayej’s confessional interview.
The result is as follows.
Sayej knows a thing or two about the topic. She went to OCAD a few years back, but decided she’d rather write about art than make it. After dropping out of Ryerson (partially because its J School neglects arts reporting) Savej started freelancing for the Globe and Mail, the Gazette, and the New York Times.
After some editorial switch ups at the Globe, Sayej cooked up a new plan: to become an internet phenomena. Her vehicle of choice is the video blog Art Stars, which chronicles the on-goings of Toronto’s gallery opening scene. Created with the help of Jeremy Bailey and Ryan Edwards, Art Stars is an all-on attack on art world pretension.
Sayej admits she was once a Belmont-smoking, coffee drinking art kid with an all black wardrobe, but says she’s grown tired of all of art’s clichés. Now Sayej dresses up in crayon coloured tops, sparkling vintage jumpers, and the occasional set of hooker heels. She even sports bright blue Buddy Holly glasses, though she swears she needs those to see.
Art Stars is one part Borat, and another serious arts reporting. Everything about the vlog, from its ‘80s arcade graphics to Sayej’s wild wardrobe, is firmly tongue in cheek. But Sayej still asks tough questions, and often ones others are afraid to ask, like, What could this exhibit possibly mean?? Or to those opening attendees only wiling to spout off positive reviews: Is there anything you don’t like??
In the confessional booth the tables are turned, and I’m the one asking the questions. We talk about the dismal salary of the arts reporter, Art Stars' plans to attack Yorkville, and the indie rockers and it girls who can be seen guzzling free beer at downtown art openings. Eventually I hear footsteps, and decide to make a swift exit before the Catholic who asked us to move our interview from the central pews can catch a glimpse of our second on-site location. Then it's out the door and into the morning sunlight to watch Sayej bike away.
A week later I join Sayej, Bailey, and Edwards for a taping of the vlog’s signature *snaps*. Like clowns out of a car, new costumes keep coming out of Sayej’s small bag. First a black ensemble with a single glove, then a fur-covered jacket, and finally the reveal: a red pencil skirt and a black bra. Once dressed (or undressed), Sayej goes about her business, snapping, posing, and playing.
As Bailey and Edwards are filming and shouting out suggestions, I’m rapidly snapping photos. In all, I take almost 600. The shots are edited and assembled over Sayej’s confessional interview.
The result is as follows.
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