Through a structured interview with artist Paul Litherland, we developed a psychogeographical account of Mile-Ex that aims to produce a map with a rich and informative sensorial experience that emulates the neighbourhood's environment while addressing questions of transformation, sleep, precarity and housing.
Paul Litherland has lived in Montreal's industrial neighbourhood of Mile-Ex for over 21 years. In our interview, we found that having experienced first-hand the shifting environment and population of Mile-Ex and Montreal, Paul has witnessed how development in the neighbourhood has transformed and evolved to provide or take away living spaces. We discuss how environments with high industry turnover levels, such as in Mile-Ex, impact residents, whether that be company owners, workers, or homeowners. Focusing on the residential experience, we discuss how an industrial ecology impacts sleep, a necessity for sustaining life and work. We discovered that noise is one of the top environmental factors to affect rest.
I was intrigued by Professor Thain's project "The Sociability of Sleep" and the exhibition InSomnolence that was part of the project. Creating an interactive installation piece for the exhibition was an incredible opportunity to apply my research skills in the humanities to real life and incorporate creativity into my project. Being a part of this larger project also exposed me to curating and producing an exhibition.
When I began my research, I sought to create connections with artists and academics in Montreal and learn practical skills such as interviewing, mapping, exhibition production, media editing and networking. When studying the arts, sometimes it is difficult to imagine how you will apply certain aspects of your degree to real life. Opportunities like this allow you to combine creativity and critical thinking while exercising life skills like dedication, responsibility and drive that help push you forward in your career. Through my research and internship experience, I got a clearer picture of how to apply socio-cultural theory to real life and see how that can bring change or spark conversations.
One of my favourite parts of being a researcher was working with my supervisor, Alanna Thain. She provided many questions for our interview with Paul, drawing out some incredibly interesting answers and perspectives. She also supported me when fleshing out the vision for this project, especially the installation at InSomnolence, which required much creative input and deliberation. Being out in the field with Alanna, I learned new research techniques and understood that much research can be enriched by personal experience. One particular highlight includes climbing through a small urban forest to walk by the train tracks in Mile-Ex during our interview with Paul. Through this project, I have met some amazing people that have strong backgrounds in the arts and in research, combining two worlds that I seek to be a part of in my career. That being said, another highlight of my internship was being recognized for my work at an artists' panel during the InSomnolence exhibition.
A challenge I worked to overcome during my research internship was figuring out how to present my work in a comprehensive and cohesive way. Because we knew we wanted to create a map, it took a lot of deliberation and experimentation to get the presentation right for the exhibition. It was also nerve-wracking to have a piece presented at an official exhibition among professional artists. On the other hand, creating the online map was a major learning curve for me because I had to learn how to use ArcGIS software. Luckily, I was well supported by the team at the McGill GIC; they gave me equipment and taught me how to create the resulting platform from this project. Being able to make use of labs like the GIC opened my eyes to the resources available through the university.
I believe my ARIA project has combined essential aspects of practical life skills with academic research. I especially appreciated this project because I was able to meet new people, work hard and have great mentorship. Concerning my research, I learned new methods, such as psychogeography and was able to apply them in impactful, real-life scenarios. At the end of the day, having real-life experience interacting in the field has given me invaluable life skills. I see both of these areas creating an excellent background in both research and the arts, preparing me for jobs and opportunities outside of school in the future.
