BIO
Geoffrey Pugen is a graduate in both theatre arts from the University of British Columbia and in Integrated media from the Ontario College of Art And Design. With converging skills of media manipulation, athletic sensibility, and theatrical satire, Pugen's work deftly blends a futuristic aesthetic with social critique. Pugen explores the intersection of animalism in a "hyper-techno" society. His current work explores the effects of a techno-scientific vision/determinism on the creation and re-visioning of the human body. His videos, music and art have been exhibited Nationally and Internationally in Berlin - Transmediale, Australia - International Digital Art Awards, Poland, New York, Chicago, Miami, and Toronto. He is a recent recipient of the K.M Hunter Award for Interdisciplinary art.
EXHIBITIONS
2007-2005
The Institute of Utopics - Utopics.ca, 12th International Media Art Biennale WRO 07, Poland
Zenith, Solo Show, Angell Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
Aerobia!, Charming Beasts, Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA), Glasgow, UK, 2007
4 Girls and A Tiger, Charming Beasts, Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA),Glasgow, UK, 2007
The Peel Region, Photorama, Gallery TPW, Toronto
Fat Cat, Digital photograph, Top 10 Show, Angell Gallery, Toronto
The Day Room, Nuit Blanche, Toronto,
Orange Clouds, Innis Town Hall, Toronto
Various Videos from Utopics, Fabrica Features Lisboa, Lisbon Portugal
Faces, Video Installation, Pleasure Dome, Museum of Canadian contemporary Art, Snip Snip, Toronto
Utopics Video Guide, Toronto New Works, Pleasure Dome, Toronto
Claots & Jossger, Digital photograph, Retro show, Angell Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
Meta-tation – Miami Scope Art Fair 2005, Miami USA
Anynx & Shmera with Reito, Photographs, Photorama, Gallery TPW, Toronto, Ontario
Aerobia! Video – Galapagos Art Space, New York, USA
Aerobia! Video and 16 digital photographs (solo show) - Angell gallery, Toronto Canada
Utopics Video Guide, -scopeHamptons, curated by David Hunt, Hamptons
Pandy & Gruba, Polaver, Digital photographs, 10 Days in July, Gallery TPW, Toronto, Canada
Utopics Video Guide | Aturians & Shmera w/ Reito - Video & Digital stills on Plexi, Museum of Canadian Contemporary Art (MOCCA), curated by David Liss, Toronto, Canada
Utopics Video Guide - 4X4 – London, England
Aerobia! - One Channel Video - Scope New York - Angell Gallery - New York, USA
Utopics Video Guide -- One Channel Video -- Transmediale 05, Berlin, Germany
FILM FESTIVALS
Aerobia!, Victoria Film and Video Festival, Victoria, BC, 2007
Remeo, Worldwide Short Film Festival, Sound : Site program, 2006
Remeo - Definitely Independent, Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, Canada Council, 2005
Aerobia!, Photophobia, Art Gallery of Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, 2005
Remeo - Rehab Parkdale Film Festival, Toronto, Ontario, 2005
Remeo - Vancouver dance film festival, Vancouver, BC | Montreal Film Festival, Montreal | Moving Pictures Festival, Toronto, 2004
Aerobia! BETA V01, Images Festival, Toronto, 2003
Lucid, Montreal Film Festival, Montreal, 2003
ARTIST TALK & PERFORMANCE
Artist Talk and Video Screening, Subtle Technologies Festival – Toronto, Ontario
Live Video Salon Performance – CopyCamp, Toronto, Canada
Orange Clouds, Durham Art Festival, Ontario
Live Video Performance – Art Gallery of Hamilton, Hamilton, Canada
Artist talk and video screening - McMaster Museum of Art, Hamilton, Canada
Performance and video screening – Ontario College of Art and Design, Toronto, Canada
Artist talk and video screening - Transmediale05, Berlin, Germany
AWARDS | GRANTS | SCHOLARSHIPS 2003- 2007
Canada Council For The Arts (Film and Video) - 2007
Toronto Arts Council Grant (Media Arts) - 2007
Ontario Arts Council Grant (Integrated Arts) - 2007
BravoFACT re: Fictional Dance Party - 2007
K.M. Hunter Award for Interdisciplinary arts- 2006
Ontario Arts Council Grant - (Media Arts) - 2006
National Film Board Grant (FAP) – 2005
Ontario Arts Council Grant (Media Arts) - 2005
Canada Council For The Arts (Travel) -2005
Digital Art Awards (Finalist) Australia - 2004
Ontario Arts Council Grant (materials) - 2004
BravoFACT! re: Aerobia! - 2004
Rights and Democracy Grant | Commission for ArcFest - 2004
Meloche Monnex Scholarship - 2005
Charles St. Video Award - 2005
LUCID - best sound design at the Montreal Film Festival
REMEO - best experimental film at the Montreal Film Festival
Film and Video Faculty award at OCAD, Dr. Eugene A. Poggetto Award at OCAD
BIBLIOGRAPHY
David Jager, Angel 10: Top 10, Now Magazine, December 7-13, 2006, Vol.26 No.14
Robert Everett-Green, Globe and Mail, "Nifty ideas prove elusive to net", Saturday, May 13, 2006
Broken Pencil Magazine, Aerobia! 7 Steps to True Love, Issue 29, pg. 83
Ben Kaplan, The Bayview Post, “Art Imitates Life – Geoffrey Pugen’s new sport” August 2005, 34, Toronto, On.
RM Vaughan, National Post, The Big Picture, Saturday, July 23, 2005, TO 14, Toronto, On
Peter Goddard, The Star, “Our Inner Animal”, Thursday July 14, 2005, G1, Toronto, On.
Betty Ann Jordan, Art, Toronto Life, July 2005, pg. 101
Susan Walker, The Star, “Beast in show: seeing our animal future”, Saturday, June 11, 2005, H5
EDUCATION
Diploma AOCAD. Integrated Media/ Film arts. Ontario College of Art and Design, Toronto, Canada
B.A., Theatre arts - Minor in Film. University of British Columbia. Vancouver, B.C.
