The artistic pairings at Brief Encounters have always hinged on being unexpected and fun, but it’s hard to remember another rendition of the show that had this much potential. Here’s just a small sampling of the artistic duos presenting short works at the 17th—yes, you read that right—installment of the ultracool event: fantasy stylist Myles Laphen (whose work is shown here) and flamenco dancer Rosario Ancer; contemporary dance artist Josh Martin and spoken-word artist (and Swollen Members cofrontman) Prevail; and dancer Julia Carr with puppet-theatre artist Maggie Winston. The show’s pairings were put together by guest programmers Laura Barron (a flutist, writer, and yogi) and Josh McNorton (a musician, writer, and director). Check out the resulting interdisciplinary mashups from next Wednesday (August 31) to September 2 at Performance Works on Granville Island.