Bio: Jacob Wren writes books, makes experimental collaborative performances and is a self-proclaimed mediocre musician based in Montréal, Quebec. His performance work has focused for some 20 years upon trying to be oneself in a performance context. His often politically charged work explores capitalism and the artist’s resistance to, complicity with and reproduction of the same. His most recent attempt to undermine his own career through the frustration of audience expectations is the record Rich & Poor: The Single. A collaboration with Andrew Whiteman (Broken Social Scene, Apostle of hustle) offering an interpretation of Wren’s book about a pianist seeking to realize his fantasy of murdering a billionaire.

Recording Notes: This interview was recorded in the offices of PME Art housed in the same building as the Black Theatre Workshop and Montréal Arts Interculturel on a bitter cold February day.

Links:

Artist:Rich & Poor: The Single: http://bookthug.ca/shop/audio/rich-poor-the-single-7-vinyl-record/ PME Art: http://www.pme-art.ca/en/Blogspot: http://radicalcut.blogspot.ca/book Tumblr: http://jacobwren.tumblr.com/

References:Chris Kraus: http://semiotexte.com/?page_id=139Maurizio Cattelan: https://www.perrotin.com/artists/Maurizio_Cattelan/2#imagesPaul Chan: http://www.greenenaftaligallery.com/artists/paul-chan/featured-worksBartleby & Co. by Enrique Vila-Matas: http://www.ndbooks.com/book/bartleby-and-companyHopeful Monsters by Nicholas Mosley: https://www.lrb.co.uk/v12/n13/jonathan-coe/skullscapeRenee Gladman: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/renee-gladman