The good old (perverted) days

What if you could write a message to yourself five to 10 years in the future? Now, what if you could write a message to yourself five to 10 years in the future, feed it to a toothed vagina, and watch it being shredded to pieces? You can in Dayna McLeod’s Vagina Dentata, one of the many frisky installations on display at Out Productions’ and Studio 303’s Factory Project. Held at an artist-run loft called the Eastern Bloc, the venture recreates and expands on Andy Warhol’s famed parties of the 1960’s.
The Factory Project held its premiere on Saturday. The Eastern Bloc was re-decorated to resemble Warhol’s New York factory. Close to the stage, a coffee table, armchairs, and ottomans were wrapped in plastic and duct tape. A flashing police light sat atop a wooden box in one corner. A couple of beds provided seating for Rockband enthusiasts in another. (Yes, Rockband, complete with regional champion Roxy to take on.)
The Pope of Pop himself made an appearance. He was dressed in black leather, wearing his signature wig, and was spotted smoking a cigarette outside the building. Muse and Warhol superstar Edie Sedgwick were also seen among the impersonators.
The crowd was diverse, with equal part hipsters, older art-goers, and performance artists, while the mood was playful, the entertainment campy, and the night young. “Would you like a beverage?” asked one man to another. “Yes, I would love a G and T,” answered his friend.
The main event took place on a small stage in the centre of the loft. Performance artist, writer, and musician Alexis O’Hara, decked out in snakeskin boots and tiger print mini-dress with a cape, purported to “add a little sassitude” to the show by serving as its host. Speaking in a mélange of English, French, and Spanish, she amused/freaked out the audience with her synth-backed screeching sing-song between performances. “I’ll be back more times than you want,” she deadpanned.
The opening act was “Bitter Lydia from New-York-fucking-City, the center of the fucking world,” – a statuesque drag queen decked out in a print dress