Marc Gauthier

The temporary exhibition The Refectory is a command of the Naval Museum of Quebec to Isabelle Laverdière. We must welcome the initiative of a military institution seeking a visual artist to create an installation to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Quebec City. This “bold” [1] gesture is placed under the sign of fraternity transcending armed conflict.

Figure 1. Isabelle Laverdière, The Refectory [view of the installation], 2008.

At first glance, hearing is stimulated to create an evanescent impression. If the floor the building is usually made up of a concrete slab, both rigid and impersonal, here it is covered with a rough wooden floor. Big plates fit roughly one in the other. Their crackles are heard as visitors walk on them, recalling the sounds that probabaly animated ships of war centuries ago. Even better, these boards are slightly mobile creating instability, just like a boat on water. To this crackling contributing to the atmosphere is added a series of marine noises. David Dandy, Martien Bélanger and Alexandre Zechariah have created the sound environment. The ensemble is serene; sound and music are not of the military type, but rather meditative.

The temporality of the exhibition is ackowledged by a significant visual element. Thus, space is closed through mobile white canvases. It is the same structure that suberbans use to protect their car from the winter weather. Instead of using walls, the artist has tended those surfaces that move following air currents. It creates a reminder of the sails of ships of past eras in a subtle way. The incongruity of the installation is also reported by a game of Chinese shadows that is created when occupants of the Naval School roam the nearbycorridors of the institution. Fragility and instability dominate the stage. Another time in space has been created with these simple tools.

Figure 2. Isabelle Laverdière, The Refectory [detail], 2008.

The use of materials from the country anchors the work in the area of Quebec City. The old speaks with the present. The boards of the floor are made of planks from a stable and the furniture is covered with wool. Opposing these warm materials are the white plastic canvas walls the the use of glowing fluorescent lights falling from the ceiling.

The facility itself is an exploration of the theme of the refectory. At the beginning, it was a place of gathering where monks took their meals in monasteries. The term then spread to designate any room where a community takes its meals. In The Refectory, Laverdière places players of the maritime history of Quebec around the central table in a continuous dialogue through time. Six pairs of captains areopposed around the St.Lawrence River. The river is represented by a central table on which are placed artifacts and contempory ceramics. The historical figures assume their presence by chairs and their silhouette is cut on a mirror. On each seat is recorded the date of an armed conflict. Behind, the silhouette of the protagonist takes place over a text in which he outlines his views on the armed conflict. In this clever game ofcorrespondences, they are no longer simply two counts of fleet clashing but rather two visions of history.

Figure 3. Isabelle Laverdière, The Refectory [detail], 2008.

The first conflict the artist refers to is the battle between Kirke and Champlain in 1629. On the table are plates from the period and a valve found on the site the Abitation of Quebec. The ceramic creations from Isabelle Laverdière are alongside these historical treasures. For the French side, she created a plate where three vessels navigate on the bottom. For the English side, the dish contains eleven ships. Laverdière reinforces the message of numerical superiority of British forces by using contemporary creativity. This game on the forces involved is present in the various conflicts illustrated. It ends in the last confrontation during the Second World War, were submarines sail through the plates.

More precisely, armed conflicts represented in exhibition occurred in 1629 (Champlain, Kirke), 1690 (Frontenac, Phips), 1711 (Walker), 1759 (Saunders and Durell, Vaudreuil) 1779 (Haldimand) and 1942 (Fortin, Hartwig). The attentive visitor will note that the aggressors and defenders are all grouped on the same side of the room. They are British nationals or Americans facing of the French and Canadians.A work of art installed in a military school can hardly evacuate propaganda. Here, it is manifested by a sense of friendship side that trenscends the conflicts. Without evacuating the historical dimension, it is surprising that the horrors of war are not even mentioned once. No death is noted among the conflicts represented. We are rather in a duel of the mind where the fight is done by using good words and flowers. In a typical example, of thirty dead of the Phips expedition, zero are reported.

Instead of the horrors of war, the emphasis is placed on a camaraderie among sailors that goes beyond war. The torpedoing of the German submarine U-877 by the St.Thomas corvette illustrates this vision. Let us briefly recall the facts. In December 1944, two Canadian vessels attacked a German ship. As the German crew was forced to throw itself in icy waters, the Canadians recovered them. A relationship of friendship grew after the war between belligerents, especially first lieutenant Stanislas Déry and Deputy Commander Peter Heisig. The exhibition ends on this idyllic note.

In the context of a command in a particular context (the 400th anniversary of its founding Quebec) by a sponsor (Naval Museum), Isabelle Laverdière manages to sail successfully in treaterous waters. She achieves a tour de force, creating an atmosphere of instability and warmth in a rigid space. The visual metaphors are supported by an original use of materials from the country. Her ceramic creations support the exhibition of historical artifacts. Standing on the border between a marketing operation and an artistic creation, The Refectory remains, despite its defects, an incursion of contemporary art at the military. If only for this last quality, this work is worth a look.

- USEFUL INFORMATION -
* The installation The Refectory by Isabelle Laverdière is presented by the Naval Museum of Quebec until Nivember 15th, 2008. [map]
 
* Admission is free.
 
* Opening hours are available by calling the Museum at (418) 694-5387. 

- NOTE -
[1] In its accompanying document, the Naval Museum says it is a first in Canada.

- BIBLIOGRAPHY -
CÔTÉ, Nathalie. « L’art contemporain chez les marins ».  Le Soleil, [online], August 9th, 2008, (page visited on August 15th, 2008).
LÉTOURNEAU, Jocelyn. Le coffre à outils du chercheur débutant. Montréal, Boréal, 2006, 266 p.
STACEY, C. P. « Phips, sir William » in Biographi.ca, [online], 2000, (page visited on August 15th, 2008). 

With the exhibit Shanghai Kaleidoscope, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) sheds some light on China’s largest city. Shanghai’s creativity is here presented in four different artistic expressions: architecture, urban aesthetic, contemporary art and fashion.

The museum has undergone a major transformation since beginning of the millennium [1]. Under the project Renaissance ROM, the institution was reorganized. The entrance was moved and visitors are now welcomed into the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal building (Fig. 1). This multi-faceted wing gives a futuristic look to an heritage building.

Figure 1 [2]. Royal Ontario Museum. Picture: wikipedia.org, under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 license

This modern add-on on a museum where almost all the collection is devoted to the ancient arts can be used to emphasize the incongruity of Shanghai Kaleidoscope at the ROM. The exhibition is presented by The Institute for Contemporary Culture (ICC), which explores contemporary cultural and social topics [3]. It is their third exhibition [4]. We are witnessing therefore the infancy of the incursion of the ROM in contemporary art.

The marriage may create some confusion in the mind of many visitors. How so? Bear in mind that the room next to the exhibit is dedicated to fashion and textiles. Dresses from the eighteenth century and looms are offered in traditional contemplation. The floor below is devoted to the arts in Precolombian America, Pacific islands, Africa and the Middle East. It is with his/her head filled with images of statues, ritual objects and other artifacts that the visitor enters this contemporary art exhibit on the rapid transformation of China. The shock is brutal and several people speak aloud on the presence of art contemporary in the room. In this regard, it seems that the design should be reviewed to allow a smooth transition between the permanent collections museum and temporary exhibitions devoted to today’s creativity.

[**** View the image by clicking this link ****]

Figure 2. Houses in Bund district, circa 1880.

Hence, the presence of Shanghai 1860-1949: Historical Photographs (Fig. 2) can serve as an introduction despite its location on the ground floor. Located in the area devoted to traditional arts of the Korea, China and Japan, this exhibition presents photographs chronicling life of Europeans in the Chinese city at the turn of the twentieth century. This exhibits fits perfectly with its surroundings. In it, visitors learn that British, French and Americans established trade concessions, to the dismay of Chinese authorities. Being outside the reach of local laws, trade flourished. This wealth has led to the construction of buildings of neo-classical architecture on Bund street.

This historical fact is the first pillar necessary to appreciate Shanghai Kaleidoscope. Indeed, the contemporary art exhibition shows the reaction of artists to the changes suffered by their city since the early 1990s. This European heritage is part of the past that some artists may wish to protect.

The other pillar necessary to appreciate this exhibition concerns the changes the city has suffered for the last fifteen years [5]. Thus, after the Second War World and following the advent of the Republic People of China, foreign concessions were placed under Chinese control. While foreigners would find refuge in Hong Kong, Chinese continued to make the city an important industrial centre. Its economic importance has been given a new impulse during the 90s when the government put in place tax incentives to encourage its development.

From a commercial standpoint, the city is a veritable success. Since 2005, its port manages the largest cargo traffic in the world. Its stock exchange is the most important in China. Its gross domestic product has increased by 13% in 2007 alone. It counts for 6% of Chinese GDP.This economic wealth is accompanied by a unprecedented population growth. The population of the urban agglomeration approaches 15 million. To accommodate these people, many dwellings were built. The residential towers have proliferated. More than 4000 buildings over 20-storeys high have been built in the city, which is twice New York’s numbers. Another 1000 are planned.

The attitude of China towards the preservation of heritage is ambivalent. It is explained by Ma Qingyun, a Chinese iconoclastic architect, in the exhibition catalogue [6]. The usual philosophy towards growth has been to raze and rebuild. If Chinese are not opposed to urban conservation areas, they adopt a Confucean approach of managing the flow and change. Therefore, the architect does not preserve a space that prevents future opportunities. Since territory is limited, this would freeze development for future generations.

So, in assessing Shanghai Kaleidoscope, we must have this knowledge of the past and of the current economic growth of the city. Without such information, the visitor cannot grasp the meaning of the installations that are proposed. Unfortunately, the texts accompanying the works emphasizes the western perspective on the preservation of historic monuments. The point of view of Qingyun is not (or little) presented. Rather, it is the nostalgia that takes over.

Figure 3. Cover of the book Phantom Shanghai by Greg Girard.

This approach is apparent in the works of two artists of Western origins, Italian Olivo Barbieri and Canadian Greg Girard. The latter offers photographs taken between 2001 and 2006. Extracted from the book Phantom Shanghai (Fig. 3), this collection of images wants preserve the memory of the city as it existed between 1949 and 1990. It follows a presentation traditional buildings surrounded by demolition debris. The photos show the remaining buildings as islands of the past in a sea of bricks, beams and plaster scattered on the ground. The city appears to have suffered bombings, much like these images of European cities ravaged by war. The power of evocation is very strong. If the artist describes himself as anti-nostalgic [7], presenting buildings in such a manner fuels an exaltation of the past.

Meanwhile, Olivo Barbieri offers Site_Specific Shanghai 05, a film of a dozen minutes. Taken from the air, the film presents the images of the numerous towers that populate the megalopolis. On those buildings, the white coating turns brown. They stand on a ground continuously hammered where pools of stagnant water multiply. The trees are rare in this vision of Shanghai as a construction site. since the image eventually all look alike, it creates in the mind of the spectator a sens of hypnotism and vacuum that invites thought on the disappearance of a way of life under the hammer. Very powerful - it gives the impression that all buildings are similar and the only variety is reflected in the organic development of old districts. Unlike a tourist film, it avoids sightseeing spots such as Bund street and the People’s Square.

This view is in sharp contrast with the vision offered by Crystal CG Shanghai in Shanghai Panorama 2008. In a film created on a computer that presents itself as an overview of the city, viewers stroll in a virtual world presenting an idealized version of today’s Shanghai. If brown and dirt dominate the work of Barbieri, here vibrates blues and greens in an opulent fashion. The trees are numerous, there are no visible defects and all the characters smile in this imaginary world. Standardization is de rigueur, the dominant aesthetic criterion appearing to be display of the Chinese flag associated with an utopian conception of happiness. If propaganda infiltrates in this document, it should be taken with a grain of salt. Indeed, this company is the official multimedia supplier of the Beijing Olympics and the Shanghai World Expo of 2010. This work must therefore be decoded using the commercial criteria with which it has been produced. Nevertheless, it is a master reminderthat the city’s development is positivily seen by a huge fraction of the population.

[**** Image visible here ****]

Figure 4. Let’s Puff [image from the installation], Yang Zhenzhong.

The observation of change that can’t be stopped seems to be the inevitable common link of Chinese artists speaking on the transformation of Shanghai. No work better illustrates this than Let’s Puff (2002) by Yang Zhenzhong (Fig. 4). This installation consists of two video projections that are facing. On one of the screens is projected the image of a young woman looking timid. Periodically, she takes a great inspiration, raises her hand and uses it as a springboard to send her breath to the other screen. Our gaze then turns to that screen where passerbies roam in an anonymous street of the city. As soon as the breath of the young woman is heard, this image begins to tremble at its pace. This work illustrates the wind of change hitting the traditional Chinese lifestyle.

The same artist offers another video installation at the entrance of the exhibition. Light and Easy 2 (2002) is a projection of the image of Zhenzhong keeping the Shanghai buildings in balance in his hands (Fig. 5). The skyline of Shanghai is reversed and the top of the Oriental Pearl Radio Tower stands at the end of his index. In this visual metaphor, the winds of change are blowing too, while the population maintains the city up in a continuous and fragile game of balance.

[**** Image visible here ****]

Figure 5. Light and Easy 2 [still from the video], Yang Zhenzhong.

In Shanghai, August 18-19, 2004 and Shanghai, April 8-9, 2005, Shi Guorui proposes to capture the transformations incurred by the metropolis (Fig. 6 for illustration of his work). Enclosing a hotel room in the dark , he uses the principle of camera obscura. His film captures the light emanating from the city over the next eight hours or so. It results in a dialogue between the old quarter of Bund street with the new business district from which the ephemeral nature is abstracted. This (in)action triggers a feeling of reconciliation between commercial activities past and present.

[**** Image visible here ****]

Figure 6. Shanghai 9 May 2005, Shi Guorui. This image is not present in Shanghai but the Shanghai Kaleidoscope work is similar.

A similar approach is displayed in Gravity - Shanghai Night Sky (2004) by Shi Yong in a series of photographs capturing the summit of a few skyscrapers of the city. By removing the body of buildings to concentrate on their coronation, the artist stresses an urban profile constantly changing and this new way by which to define Shanghai: its towers. The projection nearby Flutter, Flutter, Jasmine, Jasmine (2002) by Yang Fudong is presented as a response by human presence to concrete buildings. In this fictional story of a young couple living in one of skyscrapers of the city, the contrast between idealism of silly folk songs and raw realism of urban space is sung in a spirit of karaoke. In doing so, the artist manages to extirpate the humanity of his characters, despite the inhumanity of the places.

Only one piece from China appears to reject modernity in a more direct way. It is the video Crumpling Shanghai (2000) from Song Dong. The principle is simple: a film of Shanghai’s traditional way of life is projected onto a white sheet of paper on a black background. After a few seconds, hands appear to crease the paper and crush the images of the past. The process is redone with a new image and a new page. The fragility of urban life and its transience are supported in this powerful evocation.

Also, a work of Shen Fan is present in the exhibition, but the installation is not complete. Moreover, creations from fashion designers Gao Xin, Wang Yiyang and Zhang Da are proposed. Interviews - most of whom are in Mandarin without subtitles - and films featuring the city can also be viewed.

This exhibition allows the Canadian viewer to familiarize himself/herself with contemporary art occurring in Shanghai. This city of constant changes is a reflection of China as a whole. In a world where everything that touches China is bound to become more important over the years, it is an unexpected opportunity to see significant works created by artists at the forefront of the Shanghai scene.

If the ROM is not a museum of modern art, the insertion contemporary works from an empire of the past is a good idea. However, the gap between the permanent collections and this exhibition is very large. Regular visitors may feel lost and the exhibit may not have an attraction power strong enough for contemporary art enthousiasts. This event runs the risk of oversight by the Toronto public, unfortunately.

Useful information

• Kaleidoscope Shanghai is presented by the Royal Ontario Museum (Toronto). It runs until 26 October 2008. [ details and location]
• Schedule From Monday to Thursday: 10 to 17:30Friday: 10 to 21:30 Saturday and Sunday: 10 to 17:30
• Admission Adults: $ 22 Reduced fares: $ 19 Children: $ 15 [details]

BIBLIOGRAPHY

“Shanghai”. Wikipedia, [online], 2008, <http://www.wikipedia.org> (accessed on August 10 2008).

ROYAL MUSEUM OF ONTARIO. Website of the Royal Museum of Ontario, [online], <http://www.rom.on.ca/>, (site consulted on August 10, 2008).

CHESNEAUX, Jean and Jean DELVERT. “Shanghai [Chang-Hai]”. Encyclopedia Universalis, [online], 2007, < http://www.universalis-edu.com/> (consulted on 10 August 2008).

LÉTOURNEAU, Jocelyn. Le coffre à outils du chercheur débutant. Montreal, Boréal, 2006, 266 p.

PHILLIPS, Christopher. Shanghai Kaleidoscope. Exhibition catalogue. (Toronto, Royal Ontario Museum, May 3 — November 2, 2008). Toronto, Royal Ontario Museum, 2008, 144 p.

LIST OF FIGURES
Figures
1. Royal Ontario Museum - Royal Ontario Museum. 2007. Digital Photography. 2518 x 1747 pixels. Wikipedia Commons (photo taken from Wikipedia Commons, June 2007, Royal Ontario Museum, [online], <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Royal_Ontario_Mu seum.jpg>, (accessed on August 10, 2008)).
2. House Bund district. [no date]. Digital photography. 180 x 160 pixels. Royal Ontario Museum (photo taken from the Royal Ontario Museum, 2008, House Bund district, [online], <http://www.rom.on.ca/exhibitions/special/shanghai_photo_ en.php>, (accessed on August 10, 2008)).
3. Girard, Greg. Book cover of Phantom Shanghai. 2007. Digital photography. 400 x 321 pixels. Thames & Hudson [publishers] (photo taken from FNAC, 2008, Phantom Shanghai,[online], <http://livre.fnac.com/a1971873/Greg-Girard- Phantom Shanghai-> (accessed on August 10, 2008)).
4. Zhenzhong, Yang. Let’s Puff. 2002. Video profection on two channels. Courtesy of the artist and the Haudenschild Collection (La Jolla, USA) (photo taken from Canadian Art, Shanghai Kaleidoscope: Global and China the 21st Century, [online], <http://www.canadianart.ca/online/see-it/2008/05/08/shanghai-kaleidoscope /> (accessed on August 10, 2008)).
5. Zhenzhong, Yang. Light and Easy 2. 2002. Video projection on a singlechannel (6 min), sound. Courtesy of the artist and of the Haudenschild Collection (La Jolla, USA) (photo from Canadian Art, Shanghai Kaleidoscope: Global China and the 21st Century, [online], <http://www.canadianart.ca/online/see-it/2008/05/08/shanghai-kaleidoscope /> (accessed August 10, 2008)).
6. Guorui, Shi. Shanghai May 9th 2005. Camera Obscura, on gelatin silver. (photo taken from Artnet, Shi Guorui, [online], <http://www.artnet.com/artist/424491738/shi-guorui.html>, (accessed on August 10, 2008)).

NOTES
[1] The information concerning the ROM is taken from the website of the institution.
[2] The photographs in this document is from various electronic sources which explains their uneven quality. They are presented to support the text and they must in no way replace it.
[3] Christopher Phillips, Shanghai Kaleidoscope, exhibition catalogue (Toronto, Royal Ontario Museum, May 3 - November 2, 2008), Toronto, Royal Ontario Museum, 2008, p. 18.
[4] Ibid.
[5] The information on the development of Shanghai is from the exhibition catalogue, Encyclopedia Universalis (whose bibliography stops in 1962) and they are supplemented by a few comments from Wikipedia contributors.
[6] Philips, op. , p. 24.
[7] Ibid, p. 113.

[Pêche interdite/No Fishing [Fishing prohibited/No Fishing], Thierry Arcand-Bossé, 2008, Quebec City]

Efforts to improve nearby ramps of highway Dufferin-Montmorency continue in the Saint-Roch district of Quebec City. The destruction of two ramps freed some space where a new park will be built: Xi’an park.

Since June, manhole covers decorated by Quebec artists have been put in place. These works of art are integrated into the street furniture of the city.

[Future Xi’an Park, 2008, Quebec City]

Non-profit organization Folie/Culture is behind this initiative. In a previous post, I related my visit to the workshop of artist Paryse Martin, who had shown me the design for her cover. The result is as pleasing as the drawing suggested.

[Sketch, Quand la nature fait naître des fictions [When nature creates fictions], Paryse Martin, 2008, Quebec City]

[Quand la nature fait naître des fictions [When nature creates fictions], Paryse Martin, 2008, Quebec City]

Did you know? Folie/Culture “seeks to inform, to raise awareness, and to promote in the area of mental health. It organises events that follow unusual directions in research while at the same time motivating reflection on questions relating to painful social issues.”

[Dérapage [Slippage], Cooke-Sasseville, 2008, Quebec City]

The idea of integrating a banana peel on laughs and to call it Dérapage [Slippage] makes one smile. It should be noted that Cooke-Sasseville appears to have a busy summer! The duo also participates in the Triennal at the Montreal Museum of contemporary art and in Quebec Gold, which takes place in the city of Reims (France).

You can download a map of the circuit by visiting the website of Folie/Culture. I also prepared a circuit on Google Maps.

[Circuit, Google Maps]

[Prière d’écraser [Please crush], François Chevalier, 2008, Quebec City]

Did you know? Xi’an park owes its name to the nearby street. It marks the site of the former Chinatown of Quebec City, ravaged when the highway was built. The city of Quebec also has a cooperation agreement with the Chinese city of Xi’an since 1999.

[Cité suspendue [Suspended City], Laurent Gagnon, 2008, Quebec City]

It would have been interesting to name the artists on their plates. At the very least, a panel indicating the intention behind the idea to passerbies would have communicated the intentions of the exhibit to a wider audience. Furthermore, the absence of a title takes away basic information that adds to the pleasure when watching the works.

Finally, the rust that has emerged quickly surprises me: are these works permanent or will they be withdrawn at the end of the year? An article [in French] suggests that they’ll stay in place until the end of their useful life. Folie/Culture says that the exhibit closes on December 31, 2008. In all cases, it would seem like their useful life is relatively short…

[Vertigo, Jacques Samson, 2008, Quebec City]

It is difficult to talk about this exhibition without a mention of the censorship which hit artist Martin Bureau. Indeed, his drawing of Queen Elizabeth II mixed with a reindeer head was censured by the foundry Bibby Ste-Croix (a subsidiary of McWane located in Alabama) and the city of Quebec. If the artist wanted “to make people talk”, it seems that critic is liken to “Debbie-Downers” in the Old-Capital. The censorship thus took place without raising an eyebrow.

The exhibition Manhole Madness is presented on Saint-Vallier street, under the ramps of Highway Dufferin-Montmorency, until December 31st, 2008. The initiative is an official event of the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City.

Further reading:
* My post on the drawing from Paryse Martin
* My post on manhole cover art
* My circuit on Google Maps
* The site of the organization Folie/Culture
* Official map to identify the works
* Carte officielle pour repérer les oeuvres
* Des Photographs taken during the inauguration on June 2008
* Article in French from weekly Voir with a picture of the artists
* Canoe, in French, on Martin Bureau’s censorship

On Wednesday, while in Montreal, I decided to go check out the permanent collection of the Contemporary Art Museum of Montreal [Musée d’art contemporain]. Unfortunately, upon arrival, I discovered that the collection was being reorganized.

Hello? Doesn’t anybody in that institution know how the Internet works? That information should have been on the Web site for people like me and tourists who plan ahead their trip. The constraints of a limited time available and trying to make the most out of it make for difficult choices; information is always welcomed in that context. Apparently, I was unlucky. It seems the Museum had put the information up on the Web site somewhere and it was taken down this week. So, it seems like I fell in the cracks between the time I went at the Museum and the time I visited the site. [ Thanks to Danielle Legentil from the Museum for the info ]

Luckily for me, the temporary exhibitions proved very interesting. First, I was greeted by the installations of Geoffrey Farmer. There are about 20 works of art on display.

One original piece is most certainly The Idea and the absence of the Idea. The first thing one notices in this work is a note on the wall. By getting closer, one can read « Not the work, the worker ». At the same time, a gap in the floor reveals itself. A piece of the hardwood floor has been litterally cut off from the Museum. A pile of pieces of paper stands in the corner, similar to the one on the wall. That’s when it dawns on you that the paper was made from the pulp extracted from the hardwood. The meaning of the sentence begins to make sense.

[The Last Two Million Years, 2007-, Catriona Jeffries Gallery, photo: Guy L’Heureux]

Another installation worth mentioning is The Last Two Million Years. This montage is made of images taken from a book that wanted to tell the history of humanity. The artist cut out the pictures and grouped them according to his personal interpretation.

The second exhibit is centered around Yannick Pouliot. The thirthysomething studied visual arts and the art of woodworking which is obvious in his work.

[View of the Gallery, photo: Guy L’Heureux]

In a smart way, the artist transforms usual objects in a not-so-usual way. In this exhibit, 18th and 19th-century chairs are the motif being used. First, Pouliot makes it impossible for anyone to sit on the piece of furniture. That primary function of the object has been annihilated. This approach is not the one of the ready-mades, for example, which could regain their functions if taken out of the art show. One is then left to ponder on philosophical and personal intuitions suggested by rythms and movements present in each piece.

[Louis XVI: indifférent, 2008, collection of the artist, photo: Guy L’Heureux]

The installation Louis XIV: indifférent [2008] is most certainly worth a visit. Imagine a wall with papier peint in front of which stand two chairs. Imagine then a room where the four walls are as such. You stand in the middle of the room. And then, the artist plays with space: each chair stands in a tunnel that ends in an impass. The room has lost its square shape to gain depth.

Finally, a piece created while Pouliot was still a student at Laval University is also on display. From outside, it looks like a rough tower. By that expression, I mean that plywood is used on the outside to form a 12 to 15 feet tower. A door catches the eye.

Once you get inside the tower, just like Alice, you have crossed onto the other side. A magical world is set in motion. A candelabra is lit, high up on the ceiling. A vigourous music is played. You are in a ballroom for one, the only catch being that you can not move unless by turning on yourself. Completely isolated from the outside world, you are in your own bubble. A success!

[Cercles chromatiques de M.E. Chevreuil, 2006, Susan Hobbs Gallery]

Also on display are two photography works by Arnaud Maggs are presented. Titled Arnaud Maggs: Nomenclature, the show presents pictures of books of colours used by artists in the past century. The show didn’t do it for me but it is interesting if you are into the science versus art debate.

[Still frame, Who’s Listening?, 1, 2003-2004, courtesy of the artist]

Finally, four movies from Tseng Yu-Chin are shown in the museum, next to the bookstore. It is easy to miss them. I caught a look at Who’s listening, a movie that lasts less than two minutes. In it, children are filmed while they receive milk or yogurt in the face. If the subject matter may seem simple, it allows the expression of a range of emotions that go from anxiety to expectedness, surprise and joy. While watching these Asian children receiving a streak of white liquid on their person, I couldn’t help but draw a parallel to sexuality. These children are not in their normal setting. They were told to do something extraordinary. They are waiting, nervously, smiling. Then they receive this liquid on their person. Fortunately, there’s an happy ending to this story.

I find it hard to understand why people don’t go in the museum in larger number. For the price of a latte, one can spend an happy hour and be stimulated, charmed and surprised. What’s there not to like?

Pouliot, Farmer and Maggs end on April 20th, 2008. The entrance fee is 4 dollars because of the inavailability of the permanent collection; otherwise, it will draw you back 8 dollars.

The movies of Tseng Yu-Chin will end on May 18th, 2008.

To learn more:
* Geoffrey Farmer
* Yannick Pouliot
* Arnaud Maggs
* Tseng Yu-Chin

Mirrors that move. An image that constantly mutates. A pixellisation of space. All these concepts are combined in the installation Poursuivre le hors-champ [Continuing off-field] from Gwenaël Bélanger at UQAM’s Visual Arts Gallery.

The artist/handyman plays on the idea of perception. With this multi-mirrored installation, he completely destroys the notion of geometrical perspective. Each square offers an unique point of vue, hence breaking the conventions. One only has to sit a couple of minutes in front of the art work to be hypnotized. Like the artist says, this process « can show what is in the dead angles ».

It is possible to pay a visit to the installation until March 29th, 2008, at UQAM’s Visual Arts Gallery in Montreal. There is no admission fee. Further details can be found on the site of the Gallery.

Gwenaël Bélanger owns the copyright of this work. The picture was taken by Guy L’Heureux.

On wednesday, I took a couple of minutes and made a stop at UQAM’s Visual Arts Gallery. Since February 21st, fourteen pieces are on display in a show called Stéphane La rue, Retracer la peinture [Painting Related].

On that particular afternoon, the artist was on hand to answer questions. Friendily, he took a couple of minutes to discuss with me his work and his artistic approach. Stéphane La Rue is concerned about the material behind the material. In other words, he works on paint as matter and, from there, how he can stretch that concept.

One way of doing so is by painting in layers. Furthermore, he works mainly in white. He also paints in a serial manner. These three aspects are well presented at the show: layering, white paint, serial work.

If you wander by the gallery, take a close look at Quintette (pour Joe Maneri) [Quintet (for Joe Maneri)]. The five paintings are built around a white spot that disseminates on the surface. The brilliant whiteness slowing disappears and lets the linen canvas show. The motif is placed in a square that is a bit off when compared to the canvas.

Blancs d’ombres no 8 [Whiteness of shadows number 8] displays some work done on lightning. While the artist often layers strata, in this instance, they grow outside the canvas because of the light used. I’m not sure if it is voluntarily done in that manner but it most certainly fits the work.

The show is free. If you live in Montreal or are in town visiting, take a stroll to UQAM. The show runs until March 29th, 2008. After that, Stéphane La Rue’s artwork can be seen at Roger Bellemare’s Gallery.

More pictures can be found at UQAM’s Visual Arts Gallery.

Artwork is copyrighted Stéphane La Rue. Pictures were taken by Guy L’Heureux.

The Picture

On March 12th, 2008, a picture by Reuters was published on their photo blog. It was taken by photograph Luis Vasconcelos while Brazilian police broke a protest.

The picture, which cannot be reproduced on this blog, can be seen on Reuter’s photo blog.

It shows a woman carrying her naked child. She seems to be running. Behind her are faceless police shields that seem to pressure her. She’s screaming. She looks terrified.

In the following paragraphs, I will put forward 5 key elements that I believe contribute in making a powerful picture. To reach that goal, I will draw comparisons with well-known works of art.

1. Vertical lines

In the Vasconcelos picture, vertical lines are plenty. Although they are mainly found on the police shields, they are repeated in their legs. That high concentration of vertical lines provides stability to the image. In other words, they structure the picture.

In that regard, a nice comparison can be draw with The Lances of Diego Velasquez. That painting was made to show the surrender of Holland to Spain. The Spaniards’ stronger military force is shown with the lances on the right part of the picture. Their sheer number and their structure contribute to build their presence in the painting.

[The Surrender of Breda, ou Les Lances, Diego Velasquez, 1634-1635, 307,5 x 370,5 cm, Madrid, Prado Museum]

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Is it art or a technological project? Hard to put a label on Max Dean and his friend’s work. If many of his installations invite interactivity forw the viewer, it isn’t the case for Robotic Chair which was presented at Mois Multi 9 in Quebec City.

The installation was displayed a couple of times during the event. At the scheduled moment, a technician (button-pusher? technical assistant? invited artist?) pushes a button and sets the installation. [See the video]

The simple but elegant chair tumbles, breaking in pieces. The four legs are all over the place; the same goes for the seat and the back. Then, technology kicks in and the chair begins to repair itself. The seat begins by grabbing the first leg. It then goes on, putting the three remaining legs in the right spots followed by the back. Thanks to the artist and his technological buddies, voilà: we have the chair standing straight up before our eyes without knowing how the process was made possible. Boom! The chair breaks itself again. And just like Sisyphus and his boulder, the task begins again.

Standing in front of that installation, I couldn’t feel anything but admiration for the technical mastery being displayed. There it was: a chair rebuilding itself without human help.

At the same time, it all felt a bit boring. Only when the chair broke once more did I feel something. Did I feel empathy? Weirdly enough, I did feel something for the chair that displayed such hard work for… nothing.

In the past, from what I’ve read, Max Dean involved the viewers in his installations. There is no interactivity in Robotic Chair, which could explain why I felt a bit bored. But then again, one doesn’t have to be entertained all the time to appreciate art.

Robotic Chair was presented at Mois Multi 9 in Quebec City in February 2008. It is a collective work made by Max Dean, Raffaello D’Andrea and Matt Donovan.

Further reading:

• Information on Max Dean and friends at Mois Multi 9
• ArtForum article on a 2000 Max Dean show
• Cornell University article on Robotic Chair

At a time when snow is piling up in Quebec City, another ype of whiteness can be seen at the Medusa complex in Quebec City. séries blanches, 2006-2008 [white series, 2006-2008] is a serie of photograms created by contemporary artist Diane Morin.

If you don’t already know, a photogram is an image made by placing objects on a photo-sensitive surface that is then exposed to light. The following picture is a typical picture obtained by this process. [Obtained via Wikipedia]

That’s called a photogram without any artistic merit.

Surrealist artist Man Ray created many photograms in the early 20th century. Called rayograms, some of his works can be seen on the site of the George Eastman House.

Like anything obtained by playing with photo-sensitive material, these works of art are by definition affected by light. One has to be precise when calculating time of exposure and distance to get the wanted results.

In séries blanches, 2006-2008, Diane Morin has worked on those two aspects linked to the technique by changing the way light is used and the movements required to leave an imprint on the film.

By working this way, she tries to underscore the more or less adequate ability of the mecanisms used to create the works of art.

To appreciate her work, one approach could be to question oneself on repetition in art. Do you believe an artist using repeatedly the same techniques can obtain similar results?

That’s the goal of Morin’s experiences in these photograms. Constructed around a mecanical device that created automatically the same movements, she moves the source of light in a similar fashion. However, even by repeating herself, different works of art were created. Isn’t this a good excuse to ponder for example about days gone by that are so similar yet so different at the same time?

The show can be seen at VU at Medusa Complex in Quebec City.

Admission is free.

The opening hours are from noon to 5PM, Wednesday to Sunday, until April 13th 2008.

All the pictures from séries blanches, 2006-2008 are copyrighted by Diane Morin. More information is available on her Web site.