6. MASSIMO GUERRERA: DARBORAL

26 juin au 31 août, 2008

Quartier Ephemere/Fonderie Darling

“Darboral s’articule autour de plates-formes artistiques et spirituelles, qui invitent le visiteur à prendre part à différents rituels. Partages de nourriture à l’occasion de repas et suçage de noyaux, ateliers de créativité lors de moulages corporels et adaptation de prothèses, prise de conscience des modes d’ouverture physique et psychique, méditation, donnent lieu à une série d’éléments dont les traces de passage composent Darboral.”

It’s a work that concentrates on the rhythms of the creative experience, and shares these processes with others. It’s a contemplative space that gives back to art it’s original function, in the service of the ritual.

The Massimo Guerrera installation at Quartier Ephemere. Image: VoCA

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The Quebec art scene is ON FIRE.

La Belle Province is home to the country’s most exciting artists, many of which are included in the excellent Quebec Triennale at the MAC in Montreal.

Montreal also hosted the recent IKT (International Association of Curators of Contemporary Art) congress in May, which brought international curatorial eyes to the city thanks to Chantal Pontbriand of Parachute.

One of Canada’s best new galleries, the DHC Art Foundation, continues to make waves with their programming –Feist is playing the opening of Sophie Calle’s solo exhibition later this week.

Canadian chanteuse Leslie Feist. Image: rcrdlbl.com

The MMFA has co-organized the superb YSL retrospective and with the always excellent Canadian Centre for Architecture and the city’s many galleries, there is no doubt that Quebec and Montreal in particular, is the hottest place in contemporary Canadian art right now.

Here are a few of VoCA’s discoveries:

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Image: canadiandesignresource.ca

Coming up next week:

-The Quebec Triennale at the Musee d’art contemporain

-YSL at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

-Adad Hannah at Pierre Francois Ouellette Art Contemporain

-Carl Ostendarp, Peter Schuyff and Yves Tessier at Projex-Mtl

-Massimo Guerrera, Jessica Warboys, Jocelyne Alloucherie and Jean-Paul Ganem at Quartier Ephemere

…And more!

1. MALE: WORK FROM THE COLLECTION OF VINCE ALETTI
ATTILA RICHARD LUKACS / POLAROIDS / MICHAEL MORRIS
Presentation House Gallery, Vancouver
June 28 to August 3, 2008

Bruce Bellas [Bruce of LA], “Untitled,” c. 1960. Image: presentationhousegall.com/vince aletti

Male is an exhibition of portrait works drawn from the personal collection of curator, writer and The New Yorker photography critic Vince Aletti. It features more than 100 photographs as well as drawings, sculptures, and paintings, juxtaposing works by celebrated figures with works by emerging artists, alongside anonymously authored images and flea market finds.

Attila Richard Lukacs / Polaroids / Michael Morris showcases over 600 Polaroid photographs by Vancouver painter Attila Richard Lukacs produced over the past twenty years as referents for paintings, assembled and collaged by Vancouver Island artist Michael Morris. Utilizing the unique characteristics of the Polaroid medium, Lukacs’ painter’s sensibility is evident in the photograph’s rich hues, deep chiaroscuro, romantic sensuality and graphic immediacy.

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Montreal photo-manipulator Nicolas Baier is one of the hottest names on the Quebec art scene. Check out my review of his recent exhibition at Jessica Bradley Art & Projects, in Toronto:

(Click on thumbnail to enlarge)

For more info, visit the artist’s website HERE

Baier is represented in Toronto by Jessica Bradley. Click HERE.

HALIFAX:

Kelly Mark: Stupid Heaven at MSVU art gallery
Continuing through 1 June 2008

Kelly Mark, I Really Should…(Neon) - 2001. Image: kellymark.com

Kelly Mark is a VoCA favorite, and this exhibition, which originally showed at Toronto’s Hart House gallery, is now touring. We have seen it and it is great. Mark makes funny, whimsical pieces that say a lot about human nature and the way that societal constructs shape our behaviour. She uses her cat, and often her television to create her multilayered pieces.

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…although we think this sculpture - below - looks more like ‘playing hockey’ than ‘watching Northern Lights’, and so is an appropriate homage to les Canadiens in the playoffs.

Mattiusi Iyaituk, Watching Northern Lights. Image: spiritwrestler.com

We think the time is right for First Nations art to attract renewed interest - there’s a lot of new and excellent sculpture and drawing around - for instance the Sobey Art Prize-winner Annie Pootoogook.

You can find great Inuit art at Feheley Fine Arts in Toronto: Click HERE.

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1. How much will the Toronto International Art Fair improve now that Paul Morris is in charge?

Morris, a co-founder of New York’s Armory Show, now oversees six fairs owned by the Chicago-based Merchandise Mart, including Art Chicago, Next: The Invitational Exhibition of Emerging Art in Chicago (Where some of Canada’s best galleries, Birch Libralato, Edward Day, Goodwater, Greener Pastures, Katherine Mulherine, Newzones, the Other Gallery, Pierre Francois Ouellette, Clint Roenisch and Skew are exhibiting this week), Volta fair in New York and Basel, the Armory Show and TIAF.

Armory Show founder Paul Morris. Image: newyorksocialdiary.com

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Between Quebec City and Montreal, La Belle Province’s cozy little art scene is where it’s happening.

Here’s only a partial glimpse of what’s on:

COLLECTIVE:

BGL – They’re about to launch a project on the lower Don river in Toronto for No. 9 (Stay tuned for VoCA’s report early next week) Click HERE for their website.

The installation of BGL’s Toronto project. Image: courtesy Catherine Dean

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Yannick Pouliot at the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal

8 February – April 20, 2008

Yannick Pouliot, Empire-possessif, 2007. Image: macm.org

VoCA contributor Catherine Toews was in Montreal recently, where she was seduced by young Quebec rising star Yannick Pouliot’s exhibition at the Musee d’Art Contemporain.

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