The Work Ahead of Us
The Québec Triennial 2011 at the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal
7 October 2011 – 3 January 2012

This review is by Kingston, Ontario-based VoCA contributor Catherine Toews.

Claudie Gagnon, Tableaux (To Beauty) (video still), 2011. Vidéogramme, son, environ 20 min. Collection de l’artiste.
Image: macm.org

I had the good fortune of visiting and writing about the inaugural Québec Triennial in 2008. At the time, I described it as “a huge curatorial effort, handled with a great deal of care, consideration and innovation,” requiring “time and patience on behalf of the viewer.” It was “fresh, exciting, and eager to please,” with many artists employing a “strange sense of humour” that rendered the first Triennial “so immensely likeable.” I am pleased to say, after spending an epic Saturday afternoon exploring the second incarnation of the Triennial, that it more than lives up to the sense of great promise created by the first, while possessing some significant differences that came as a pleasant surprise.

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“Saint Helen,” says new gallery owner Daniel Faria of the name of his opening exhibition, “is the patron saint of new discoveries.”

A fitting choice then, for his gallery – a former auto body shop, and a place where, as he points out, collectors will discover new and exciting artists.

The beautifully scripted title of Daniel’s inaugural show. All images: VoCA

It’s a beautiful space and up to the high standard of Monte Clark, in whose gallery he previously worked (eventually going into partnership with Monte) and where I met him in 2003 when we worked together in the early days of Toronto’s Distillery District.

Although I missed the opening bash, Shinan was there and so were tons of others, apparently. Dan is an excellent dealer and I know he’ll be a big success, especially with the artists that he’s already representing.

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ATTENTION ARTISTS: I’m thrilled to announce that I’m looking for artists for a brand new art project that I’m involved with. It’s called Artbomb and it’s a daily online art auction delivered to your inbox.

Patrick Hughes, Colour Process, 1984. Image: wonderboygraphics.com
I have one of these prints for sale, incidentally.

Here’s how it works. People subscribe for free and receive a single email from us everyday from Monday to Friday. Each day a new work of art is featured, and subscribers can bid on it. If they like it, they bid and if they don’t, they don’t.

It’s simple.

It will be launching in about one month and I’m looking for ‘emerging’ artists to potentially participate. By emerging, I mean less established artists, although some established artists are welcome.

If you are are Toronto-based artist and are interested in showing your work to thousands of potential buyers, please contact me at carsonandrea@hotmail.com. I’ll answer any questions you have and send you a copy of the contract.

Send me your phone number and we’ll go from there. Our website will be up soon.

Artbomb. Buy what YOU love.

Last night was Toronto’s annual ‘All Night Contemporary Art Thing’, Nuit Blanche. Now in its sixth incarnation, the event has gone from inspiring wonder in audiences to inspiring complex plans on how best to navigate the crowds. Many people start out at 7 pm and go until 12 or 1, which makes sense but creates a frustrating logjam of people at every installation.

AES+F, The Feast of Trimalchio. Image: vvork.com

While it will always be a challenge to bring universally pleasing, high impact, accessible art into public areas that lasts from 7 pm to 7 am, I felt that this year was more successful than past years, in part because there were fewer works that involved lining up, and in part because, well, I had a plan.

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