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A glimpse of what it is to live at l’Infini… ;)
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A glimpse of what it is to live at l’Infini… ;)
It’s this time of the year again, when we make it known to the world that we’re looking for new crew members willing to embark with us once more on the high seas of community living.
Yes, it’s the time of wandering, when we get out of our shell and open our doors to the outer world. When we unfold our leaves and reach towards the morning rays of sunshine as they make their way through life.
Collective houses, as well as the community life which symbiotically grows from within them, may well be at the root of a change towards the emancipation of a counter-narrative free of systems of oppression. Based on our needs as human beings, the commune creates a context in which individual and collective fulfillment is possible, as well as a potential solidarity with indigenous, feminist, anti-racist, anarchist, LGBTQ+, and ecological struggles, and those not mentioned here.
The strength of these alternative communities lies in their active solidarity and mutual aid as well as in the bonds of trust that are created after so many informal encounters. Often intertwined, alternative networks provide greater resilience to economic and social fluctuations and declines. What we are proposing here is to strengthen the links not only between collectives, but also between the individuals who constitute them.
The communal life is thus the manifestation of this individual desire to unite, act, and appropriate one’s environment. To contribute to the collective growth, to connect with oneself and others, and to transpire the community.
As a herd of adorable kittens discovering their passion for art and the absurd, we nourish ourselves with a love of life which flourishes within our beings. It is not uncommon that we dance, paws soaked with paint, on the walls of our homey cocoon. In the mist of all things, the strange lightness of the self grows through all of us, allowing itself to be lived, shared, and expressed, but more importantly, connecting us to that which brings beauty out of us.
Invitation to our 6th Skillsharing Market
In this instant, this moment which dwells deep within us every day, from sun rise to sun down, we laugh, we cry, we sing. We open up, we grow, we shine. We also occasionally wake up in the morning, go to bed in the evening, chew when we’re eating, brush our teeth, wash our hands, do the dishes, and mop the floor.
Formerly part of the Collectif Masson, our Flying Dutchman, the loft Infini, has been afloat at the corner of d’Iberville/Masson (Rosemont, Montreal) for two and a half years now, and is not expected to sway anytime soon. As most of the folkx currently aboard will have parted ways by the end of the summer, many a spot will be available.
Above pretty much everything else, we seek to maintain the dynamics of trust, compassion, and open communication, as well as playfulness between the members of l’Infini as well as its extended community. We very much wish it to be a home before being a house.
Notre tout premier Marché des Savoir-Faire
Such a space permits us to open up to each other and explore our fears and insecurities knowing the environment healthy, safe, and caring, all while identifying and respecting our own boundaries. In so, a community safer space in its ideal is not an environment in which no one gets triggered, rather it is a loving environment of comprehension and mutual aid where we can permit ourselves to be vulnerable without having to worry about seeing our vulnerabilities exploited.
By existing and relating to one another with honesty and integrity, we may at once unleash in ourselves the flow of creativity through which exploration may thrive, art may flourish, and ideas may materialise themselves.
In harmony with the infrastructure already in place, this intangible way of communally being and expressing ourselves makes of the loft a uniquely stimulating playground for both mind and body.
L’Infini is a place where we want:
– To be able to communicate and respect our boundaries and those of others;
– All of our interpersonal relationships to reflect the culture of consent;
– The physical and emotional integrity of all to be respected;
– To not have to be on our guards;
– To be able to allow ourselves to be vulnerable;
– To communicate non-violently;
– Words to be neutralized or feminized;We are also encouraging the culture of care and discouraging the culture of intoxication.
We find important that:– Our life choices are conscious and the result of an active engagement;
– Everyone allows themselves to live their emotions while being responsible for them;
– Everyone is motivated by the desire to learn and grow.
As a community, we wish to continue hosting alternative events and workshops on a regular basis, as well as getting involved with the larger informal intentional housing community network in Montreal. We take to heart that our sweet home be open to friends of the community as a workspace or as a retreat from the outside world. As it is often the case in communities, imprevisibility is unavoidable and is to be embraced rather than despised.
L’Infini is a queer & trans-friendly space; a mention we hope wouldn’t be needed in the future.
Dumpster diving and the sharing of meals is also central to our daily life at l’Infini, just as the sharing of knowledge, and that of practical skills.
Fun fact: In its infancy, after digging up ancient scrolls from the Library of Alexandria, l’Infini found the answer to the millennial philosophical inquiry: “Where’s all the rum gone?!” Indeed, as crazy as it might sound, there was never any rum to begin with because… l’Infini is a soft sober space!
In other words, l’Infini is not a place to get intoxicated and we discourage anything other than occasional consumption in our loft. It is also a naked-friendly space, meaning we’re okay with people being naked in the space.
As a long term tradition of our collective, every two weeks we have Family Times, evenings when we take the time to share a meal, listen to each other about how we’ve been, and discuss general housekeeping and event planning.
What we sometimes do when we spend to much time at l’Infini :P
Much work has gone into making l’Infini a fully functional multidisciplinary creation space equipped with the necessary materials and tools with which one can explore construction, reparation, and art making in most of its forms. We also invest in basic food ingredients and the necessary for DIY household products.
The physical condition of our spaceship is stronger than ever, as results from years of renovations, improvements, and decoration; by which we mean, is fully furnished:
Not at all unlike your everyday treehouse-submarine, l’Infini is composed of many private quarters (henceforth rooms). Although no room is completely closed (with 4 walls and a door), each of them provide visual intimacy and can be redesigned at will. Indeed, with its 950 sq. Ft., our dear Millennium Falcon is designed to accommodate a crew of 8-10 humanoids between whom the cheap rent is split. Statistically, if you’re at l’Infini and you look up, you’ll see a mezzanine over your head. The four common areas are the kitchen, the art and work desks, the workshop space, and the living room with its giant mattresses and illuminated by large windows.
> Possibility to move in now!
> First floor (not wheelchair accessible)
> No balcony (green alleyway 25m away)
> We’re enough humans, no other animals!
> 10 minutes in bus from 3 metro lines:
Laurier, d’Iberville and Frontenac
Some more pictures of our collective life: Collectif Masson’s Fakebook Page
Conference on Starting up a Community 101: Video (FR), Power Point (EN), and Notes (FR)
If you also breathe in love and breathe out community,
If you also are in awe at the buds and the morning dew,
If you too hope for a more conscious tomorrow,
And would be interested in moving in with us,
Write to us in the magical form below!
If you have any questions, you can call us at 514-562-7682
(Though we’ll still ask you to fill up the form =^.^=)
No dragons were lost in the making of this little universe, but many a snail found its way to beautifully green pastures.