La galerie PFOAC est heureuse de collaborer avec Art Matters, le festival des arts visuels du premier cycle de l'Université Concordia, pour la deuxième année consécutive afin de présenter l'exposition "The Degrees of Separation That Bring Us Together" facilitée par India-Lynn Upshaw-Ruffner et présentant des oeuvres de:
Kimberly Orjuela
Roxy Boyle
Darius Long Yin Yeung
Em Laferrière
Quang Hai Nguyen
Barbara Reddick
Les degrés de séparation qui nous réunissent
Quels sont les degrés de séparation entre nous en tant que spectateurs, artistes, amis ou étrangers? Un degré décrit les quantités, les niveaux ou l'étendue pour lequel quelque chose a lieu. Globalement, chacun d'entre nous peut être connecté à un autre malgré le nombre de degrés qui nous séparent.
Les artistes qui participent à cette exposition abordent leurs relations avec ces degrés de séparation, et comment ils naviguent la complexité de ces relations. Ces artistes illustrent le pouvoir de connexion tout en révélant l'aspect difficile et inconfortable qu'apporte cette reconnection avec leurs cultures et leurs identités. L'exploration de l'art traditionnel Colombien comme médium permet de redécouvrir l'histoire culturelle de ce pays à travers la céramique en combattant l'effaçage de cet art ancien. À travers une perspective de la diaspora vietnamienne, le processus d'introspection se dénoue par la photographie. L'enquête pour le sentiment d'appartenance pour notre artiste de Hong Kong, existe perché entre des influences occidentales et orientales. Nos artistes en partenariat cherchent du réconfort chez leurs voisins et leurs amis en temps d'isolation, et explorent leurs expériences à travers les médias de peinture et de photographie.
Le sentiment d'être simultanément détaché et connecté s'écoule à travers chaque œuvre dans cette exposition. Tous les artistes sont d'origine mixte ou ont des identités intersectionnelles. Les circonstances de la pandémie ont exacerbé l'hybridité de tous ces artistes, et ont amplifié les degrés de séparation dans le cadre de leurs identités. Ils utilisent leur pratique artistique pour créer un espace pour eux-mêmes dans un monde d'isolation, d'incertitude, de fluctuation et d'adaptation, offrant des espaces aux spectateurs pour faire de l'introspection et pour contempler les degrés de séparation dans leurs vies.
Nos degrés de séparation offrent la possibilité d'imaginer un monde où nous sommes tous voisins quel que soit notre nationalité, notre ethnicité, notre religion, notre genre, notre orientation sexuelle, ou n'importe quel autre facteur qui pourrait nous diviser. Découvrez les thèmes de reconnection et de célébration avec de diverses cultures, le concept de famille choisie, et la déconnexion avec soi ou avec sa culture à travers cette exposition. - India-Lynn Upshaw-Ruffner
Textes de présentation des artistes (en anglais seulement)
Darius Long Yin Yeung
2019, egg tempera on wood panel, 24'' x 24''', 2021
The piece explores the nature of relationships and connections. Making connections and maintaining them are not as simple as we perceive. We make connections and it can be maintained for a period of time. However, it will often fade due to lack of communication, change of environment or life stages,hence falling into a vicious cycle. The connections that I made in high school is one example. The cohesion was so convincing that I thought this bonding was unbreakable. I am curious whether these lost connections can be reconnected, and even be strengthened. Venus flytraps represent the nature of relationships: strength, persistence and continuity. Bees symbolize the ways to work relationships out: communication and connections, as bees often work together and contribute to their community.Honeycombs represent goals, dreams and the institution that bind bees together. Additionally, I compare the nature of plant propagation with the lost connections as an analogy, hoping to reconnect with the lost connections and find new possibilities in these relationships. It all leads to the questions: The plant has been cut out, will it grow new leaves and new roots? The relationships are disconnected, can it be reconnected again and strengthened in spite of the time and the changes of life stages?
Darius Long Yin Yeung
Dichotomy, acrylics on mirror, 64'' x 28'', 2021
Growing up in Hong Kong, we receive both western and eastern influences. Perhaps because of this mix of cultures, self-identity has always been an issue for Hongkongers. Hong Kong had been colonized by Britain, and until 1997, the place was handed over to China, becoming a special administrative region of the country, while retaining "one country two systems," and a high degree of autonomy. However, in the past few years, we have seen our freedom and rights start being undermined by the Chinese government, which has drastically changed our lifestyles. With an influx of mainland Chinese immigrants, our languages, cultures and core values are being assimilated. It, therefore, perpetuates the resentments of Hong Kong towards China. As such, a myriad of protests have been advocating the independence of Hong Kong and the repossession of rights and freedoms. Painting on a mirror is a way for me to connect with myself. The piece embodies Hongkongers as jellyfish. I paralleled the floating features of jellyfish to the lack of identity and directionlessness of Hongkongers. We have no idea where we are heading and are constantly floating in the dark. Yet, we hope to surmount the confinement one day.The flowers in the painting represent the three countries: the peonies represent China, the roses represent Britain and the bauhinias represent Hong kong. The jellyfish are entangled with the peonies and the roses, signifying the profound influences of both countries on Hong Kong. While the bauhinia does not remain intact, leaving the petals of the flower, and looking insignificant.
Kimberly Orjuela
Community, ceramics, 60 cm (W) x 40 cm (L) x 20 cm (H), 2021
A community is a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common. Now a days community is not limited geographical but can be found in multiple different places around the world. The creatures created in this piece highlight the differences in everyone emphasizing the uniqueness each has. Every figure has been painted with different glazes to create a range of colour. Not one is created the same, but as a group there is harmony. Recognizing the differences and cherishing it is how a community grows.
Kimberly Orjuela
Going with the Flow, ceramics, 29 cm (W) x 10 cm (L) x 18 cm (H)
During different phases in life, a few external events enter it to disrupts the motion and routines that are used to implement stabilization. These external forces can be difficult to adapt to once an order was established for your day-to-day tasks. In moments where chaos enters and the need to control kicks in, the best way to deal with it is to not control. To enjoy the ride with going with the flow and detach from it. Eventually just like a storm, the weather will calm down and the sun will come out. Might as well swing it out until it settles.
Roxanne Boyle
The Guarantee Building, five 2.5f x 3f, 4x5 colour film negatives printed on inkjet. Photographed 2021, printed 2022.
Built in 1912 the original use is said to be that of the textile manufacturing industry. More than half a century later it was bought by the current owner and turned into 24 loft spaces, and relatively nothing has changed since. Over the years the lofts have been manipulated, transformed, and passed down through generations of inhabitants. The building is full of stories: older tenants tell tales of crazy rock parties in the 90s; rumor has it Arcade Fire used to practice in the basement; recently, a short film was found depicting what it was like to live here in the 2000s.
Today, the Guarantee Building is like its own microcosm of a universe with its own rules and regulations. Each loft would be a planet that has its personal unique biosphere. Some are dark and musky, others are brights and lush, some have many inhabitants, and others have just one. Most of the aliens that inhabit this micro-universe know each other and are very friendly. A few regularly zoom around, up and down to each other's planets.
Em Laferrière
Rock, Contrast, Concrete and mix media, 24x18 in., 2022.
Moon Landing, Contrast, Video Installation, 2021.
Untitled, Contrast, Video Installation, 2021.
In quantum mechanics, The Wave Function of the Universe theory stipulates that with every choice we make a new parallel, but separate, reality is formed resulting in what scientists believe may be an infinite amount of alternate universes. Plunged within the depths of the multiverse, both familiar and otherworldly, this series attempts to confront the rigidity of our gender binary systems and deconstruct the cognitive biases that uphold them. What might our lives be like in these different universes? Contrast (2022) aims to create, rather than just hold, new spaces for queer and gender ambiguous fol(x) to exist and thrive.
Quang Hai Nguyen
In these eyes lie an endless ocean, photography, from 11x14, 24x36 and 30x40 inches
max depending on the space, 2021-ongoing.
In these eyes lie an endless ocean navigates between the emotional struggle of isolation and uncertainty shared amongst diasporic Vietnamese communities. In an effort to grasp a sense of belonging in a cultural heritage that has historically been known for its past traumatic events, this intimate series of photographs explores how Vietnam's cultural identity has not truly been grounded yet, but instead, just like the ocean that our families once traveled, it is still constantly flowing.
As the Vietnamese diaspora gradually spans across the globe, we come to this realization of a new generation of Vietnamese youth who inherits these stories from the past without ever living during these periods of war and escape. This arrival creates an invisible emotional barrier between intergenerational families and a feeling of alienation in our own cultural identity. By isolating every personal experience into a singular visual narrative, this project allows a space that bridges the gap between Vietnamese ancestors and descendants and reveals universal feelings shared amongst Vietnamese. It traces and pieces together the untold stories throughout our intertwined historical lineage. Thus, the act of sharing and gathering serves the purpose of remembering those that sacrificed everything for us to be here today and to reimagine a future that breaks free from its post-colonial writings.
Barbara Reddick
Basking is about the quiet moments of beauty that we find within the mundane.
Amongst the loud chaos of existence, within a system that pushes us to produce and profit, this piece is a silent rebellion through the acts of rest and companionship. This painting is a loving portrait of the artists closest friend, sitting in her home, with a
cat resting on her lap. The subject was present as a model for the majority of the work’s completion.