Purveyor of: machine-sex convulsions

Pop quiz, nerds: which Governor General’s Award winner is also banned from New York’s Museum of Contemporary Art, The National Gallery of Canada and most major art galleries around the world? It’s Istvan Kantor! The infamous performance artist is best known for his blood campaign which included marking gallery walls with X’s painted with his own blood, then reciting a prepared address. So what the hell is he doing at Wavelength? He’s bringing a band, of course. Matt Collins was afraid to even interview this guy without repeated assurances of his safety. If you miss this you are either a wimp or a coward.

So should we expect a musical performance or performance art for Wavelength? Is there a difference?

I'll play with my band, The Red Armband. It's electro-beat based music with lots of live sampled noise [and] also Hungarian folk songs. Music itself is performance art, and perhaps I'll have a few extra performers on stage for convulsive actions

How do you feel about the city telling us to "Live with culture"?

Oh, the city has culture for us? I thought they only provide us luxury condos...

You called Toronto the "Vampire Capital"- is that still true? Who else is sucking our blood?

The Rentagon has all the supreme power. A revolution in Toronto is inevitable!

Outline a fantasy involving the Broken Social Scene.

Gee, I have no fantasy, no imagination; I always plunder ideas from other people. I'm from the Neoist Plunderground.

Who do you think you have more in common with: De Sade, or Masoch?

I'm not sure if sado-maso is a reference for my life. I am a yogaborg and I exercise every day. I'm approaching the One Millionth Push Up! (100 per day for about 30 years.) Ha ha ha, look for the celebratory party next year!