Fire on the Water Preview: Venus X!
On Sunday, August 26, from 2pm to midnight, Toronto’s Sunnyside Bathing Pavilion and Beach will come to life with art installations and music courtesy of some of the most forward thinking global bass DJs on the planet.
Organized by The Waves and Marcus Boon – Fire on the Water is a day-long, all-ages, free event that combines multi-media art installations, live DJs, a pool and a beach to create THE party of the Summer!
Art by Aimée Dawn Robinson (Motherdrift), Juliet Palmer (Urbanvessel), Christie Pearson (The Waves) and Jim Ruxton (Subtle Technologies) + Music by DJ/Rupture (Mudd Up!), Venus X (GHE20G0TH1K), Maga Bo, Poirier, Torro Torro, Lucie Tic, Dos Mundos DJs and M.A.M.A.
Each week, between now and August 26, we’re going to profile one of the headlining DJs. This week, we’re talking about VENUS X.
Dominican/Ecuadorian DJ/tastemaker/artist/model Venus X has made a name for herself for her unique style and presence. From the way she dresses to the way she DJs, influences and elements are brought together to create something wholly Venus. Her live chopped and screwed sets have taken her from grimey underground parties in New York to runway shows in Milan. Alongside fashion designer Shayne Oliver, Venus started Ghe20 Goth1k, an underground party that was as eclectic musically as the people that came out to dance. Eventually she would go on tour with Gang Gang Dance and be featured multiple times in the New York Times, The Guardian, Rolling Stone and more.
Few artists are talked about as much as Venus and that’s because she is one of those rare artists that can be culturally relevant in the worlds of music, art and fashion. Her sets build on rap, R&B and dembow, with a sprinkle of pop music and a dash of audio clips from Al-Jazeera. Musical eclecticism with underlying political radicalism. And it helps that she works tirelessly to integrate the worlds of art, fashion and music and to bring together different people, from different social spectrums to dance, think and act together. In a world where patriarchy is the norm (for now), Venus X has not only carved out a platform for her talent and vision but has also defined herself as more than a DJ.
Venus X continues to recreate and redefine herself – as if to say her entire life is an ongoing, collaborative work of art. This Sunday (!!!) Venus X joins DJ/Rupture, Maga Bo, Poirier, SLOWED DJs, M.A.M.A. and Dos Mundos DJs at Sunnyside Pavilion for a day of art/music/water/fun. Check out the mix + video below and get ready for some swan dives!
Image by Gilbert Li