didn't have much luck really, going through galleries and museums, we've only experienced one of the exhibits. the ones we searched for were either closed or we just couldn't find their locations, which we blame the lack of signs.
i've always heard of the belgo building within my classes, but this is my first trip there. located on ste-catherines, just before bleury, (across from musiqueplus) its an apartment building of studios, containing art galleries, and of dance, yoga, and martial arts studios. there were two photo exhibits within, but they were closed. super. but i enjoyed going through five floors of contemporary galleries.
first off, it was a damn nice day. not bright and sunny, but warm and not raining. and inside the belgo building, it was frign warm.
the 2nd floor had Pierre-François Ouellette Art Contemporain gallery featuring the work of winnipeg artist, Dil Hildebrand. Beautiful LARGE paintings of landscapes balanced with fragmented shapes and organic elements. a great example of contemporizing landscape painting. oddly enough, his documentation of his work looks better for some reason than in person.
there also was an interactive installation, "Drawing by Numbers" in which a computer scans your image and a machine etches your silhouette unto a white wall. me and kev were trying to get it to work, standing in front of the camera in odd poses, but nothing happened. until the curator came out and told us kindly that it was experiencing technical difficulties and was inoperable. thanks.
the 3rd floor had the SKOL gallery featuring Emi Honda, and her fantasy-inspired environmental installation. What was most impressive about her installation was her use of some kind of air pump that helped simulate a living breathing environment. clever.
the 5th floor had the galerie Donald Browne which had one particular work that i thought was pure genius. Valérie Kolakis's "Looking for the Unbuilt House" displayed a grid of photos of pin holes on white walls. genius. i can't explain how... charming it is. or why it is so. just beautiful.
also on the 5th was the galerie René Blouin featuring the work of Francine Savard. i enjoyed her work, and the exhibition space was sexy too. wide and open. just had a funny experience with the curator. as kev and i were viewing the gallery, a man stepped out of his office as he fixed his tie, took one glance of us, and undid his tie while turning back into his office. hehehe. thanks, like two young brown men in jeans and sneakers can't afford $5000 paintings. jerk.
but now that i think of it, the 5th floor had the more snobbier and older curators. pretentious bastards. when i open my own gallery, i'll be the most welcoming and gentlest curator of ALL TIME. and i'll serve free coffee. ONLY ONE PER ATTENDEE.
anyhow, we pretty much did the belgo building and went over to Kanda for sushi but it was closed. ARGH! so we settled for food court food.
afterwards, we checked out the Museum of Contemporary Arts at place-des-arts, and unfortunately the museum itself wasn't free. but the "mois de la photo" exhibit was free (like it should) and featured Saskia Olde Wobers of the Netherland's film, "Trailer." which i incorrectly assumed was just that. this too, kev and i had 'difficulty' in.... entering. picture this, a wide open door, perfectly lit, and two feet inside, the darkest room ever constructed in the HISTORY OF MANKIND. a darkness so dark, that nightime would be considered blindingly bright in comparison. we tried using our cellphones light to guide us, but it didnt work. you know that 'leap of faith' scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade where they had to cross that invisible bridge? that was us. once our eyes adjusted, we had to step around a black curtain to see a giant screen the film was being projected upon. after finding the bench awhile after, it was funny to see other people tip toe into the room. hehehe. the film itself was, honestly, boring. the narrative was just uninteresting, and while the still photos being projected were of high quality, it didn't enhance the experience much. and the level of darkness of the room just seemed totally unneccessary.
we tried viewing another exhibition across the street, but couldn't find it. and i just didn't wanna bother trying. a board with an arrow and the word 'exhibit' would help. it's called a SIGN.
that was that.
inspiring.
2 comments:
I still have nightmares of that room. It was like a doorway to nothing. It was the freaking abyss.
unrelated, but good:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NdSL2NUoWk
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