The
Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery of Concordia
University is celebrating ten years in its current
location. To mark this significant event five established
Canadian artists have been invited to create in
situ installations which will transform the gallery
space, acknowledging both the exhibition and collecting
practices of the university museum. Invited to present
works based on the theme of celebration and looking
forward, the exhibition features diverse contributions
by Ingrid Bachmann, Mary Anne Barkhouse, Thérèse
Chabot, Stéphane Gilot, and Vid Ingelevics.
Open to the public from October 8 to December 14,
2002, the vernissage will be held on Tuesday, October
8 at 5:30 p.m. The Gallery is located at 1400, boul.
de Maisonneuve ouest, in the J.W. McConnell Library
Building.
Concordia ceramics professor Thérèse
Chabot, creates spiritual interventions sacred
gardens composed of flower petal mosaics, from plant
materials gathered and dried by the artist herself.
Inspired by Queen Bee, an art work by Allan
Glass in the Ellen Art Gallery's permanent collection,
Chabot's current installation examines the ritual
production of honey from the flower.
Monumental, architectural constructions have come
to typify the work of Montreal-based Stéphane
Gilot, who uses the simple game and the act of play
to reveal the complex rules and relationships which
govern social structures. Opening the Montreal branch
of his Genetic Transformation Unit for the Colonisation
of Mars, Gilot's installation at the Ellen Art
Gallery allows the public to participate in a once-in-a-lifetime
adventure.
Concordia professor (fibres) Ingrid Bachmann presents
an interactive installation which merges new technologies
with the traditional practice of knitting. Bachmann
is interested in investigating the effects of space
on experience and behaviour.
Mary Anne Barkhouse, member of the Nimpkish band,
Kwakiutl First Nation creates work that reflects her
dual identity (native/west coast - non-native/east
coast) and the histories of Native peoples in Canada.
In this installation the artist presents a series
of cast beavers and photographic images of nature
in light-boxes, which symbolically refer to the continued
presence of the fur trade (industry) in Montreal and
celebrate the ideas of resilience and survival.
Toronto photographer Vid Ingelevics' work comprises
a journey through history and memory, motivated by
a search for identity lost through immigration. Continuing
his investigation of institutional memory, he came
to the Ellen Art Gallery for a week-long residency
to research the contents of the gallery's archives,
thus engaging the problems of knowledge and memory,
and the potential for the retrieval and loss of information.
Curated by Guest Curator, Ilga Leimanis, an illustrated
bilingual catalogue will be published after the completion
of the projects and will be available shortly after
the vernissage. The Art Gallery gratefully acknowledges
the assistance of The Canada Council for the Arts,
Assistance to Art Museums and Public Galleries for
Operations and Programming in Contemporary Art.
Events:
Artist
Talks:
The Ellen Art Gallery presents a series
of two afternoon artist talks in which four of the
artists in the Tenth Anniversary Show will discuss
their work and artistic process.
Wednesday, October 9, 4:00- 5:30 pm
Mary Anne Barkhouse and Vid Ingelevics
Wednesday, October 16, 4:00 - 5:30 pm
Thérèse Chabot and Ingrid Bachmann
