Biographies: Un regard contemporain sur l’Acadie
October 16, 2008
The exhibition is timed to coincide with the Colloque de l’Association des professeurs des littératures acadienne et québécoise de l’Atlantique—a conference on Acadian and Quebecoise literature and Culture at Mount Allison University. Bélanger and Doucette had worked together in the past when she was working at Galerie Sans Nom where Doucette is director. Working in New Brunswick, both curators were very familiar with Acadian artists.
For some of the artists, identity is a theme that is closely connected their Acadian roots. But for many identity is related is simply just closely linked to how they connect to their work. Jean-Denis Boudreau‘s project, The Last Show, examines who you become when your dead by staging his own funeral in the gallery. Maryse Arseneault’s lithographs draw on her history of fantasizing as an only child—taking pictures of her family she inserts people pretending they were part of her family.
“The nicest thing about this show is that it shows Acadian artists working on other things than just about l’Acadie. They have preoccupations that are wider and just as contemporary as everything else that’s going on.”
Bélanger was a bit hesitant about organizing, and writing the accompanying essay, the show knowing dozens of specialists will be visiting the exhibition. But she thinks it turned out okay, and she’s excited to hear what people think of the show.
“There’s this folkloric idea that’s attached to Acadian artists a lot of the time—this romantic idea that they’re very obsessed l’acadie. But we wanted to show another sort of look at their work… I think that our perspective on things is just as valid as the 57 specialists that’ll be here”
Biographies will be on display from Fri October 17 – Sun December 14 at Sackville, New Brunswick’s Owens Art Gallery.
Pages: 1 2
