Le Mois de la Photo à Montréal

The 12th edition of “Le Mois de la Photo à Montréal”
Lucidity – Inward Views
8 September – 9 October 2011
moisdelaphoto.com


Already at its 12th edition, “Le Mois de la Photo à Montreal” is opening its doors to the general public from 8 September until 9 October, and this time around a total of 14 different venues across the city will host the event. Over the last two decades, this international biennale has explored the issues of the photographic image in contemporary art as well as in wider contexts, and how these have transformed today’s socio-cultural climate. This year guest curator Anne-Marie Ninacs has invited 25 artists from all over the world, to contribute to the theme of Lucidity – Inward Views.

The theme underlines photography’s ability, in the hands of many artists, to address complex geopolitical situations and confront painful human drama squarely in its face. Nevertheless, Ninacs pushes forward in her curatorial statement, urge us more than ever to examine, as a society, the forces interacting at the root of these phenomena. In unfolding the many-layered vectors of conflict, the hope consist in attaining a measured inner clarity, a “transparence of mind,” which is the present-day psychological equivalent of lucidity.

Each artist featured in the exhibition has, in a certain way, turned the cameras back on themselves to utilize photography in an introspective process, as an opportunity for self-reflection, sometimes even as means of revealing the unconscious. In doing so, they draw our attention towards questions we find difficult to answer, but still govern our actions. Refusing the illusory powers of identity, fear, death, and anger provide us with opportunities to contemplate acceptance, compassion, creativity and ultimately, engagement.

Milan Kundela described artists as “the explorers of existence”, and their art a “realm where moral judgment is suspended”, where “knowledge is the … only morality”, for all the dimly lit zones to be dutifully scrutinized, appreciated and embraced. For better or for worse, Lucidity also implies clarity of perception in dark places.

List of the artists


Raymonde April “Autoportrait aux renards (detail)” (1979) Courtesy of the artist and Donald Browne Gallery, Montreal © Raymonde April

Raymond April (Québec, Canada)
Mon regard est net comme un tournesol
At Optica, 9 Sept. – 15 Oct. 2011 (Opening on Friday 9 Sept., 5pm*)
raymondeapril.com


Alfonso Arzapalo “Snowdon (detail)” (2009-2011) Courtesy of the artist © Alfonso Arzapalo

Alfonso Arzapalo (Quebec, Canada / Mexico)
Compositions silencieuses
at Maison de la Culture Frontenac, 8 Sept. – 9 Oct. 2011
(Opening on Saturday 10 Sept., 1pm*)
alfonsoarzapalo.com

Roger Ballen (South Africa)
Asylum
at Arsenal, 8 Sept. – 9 Oct. 2011 (Opening on Thursday 8 Sept., 6pm*)
rogerballen.com


Diane Borsato “Italian Lessons (detail)” (2009-2011) Courtesy of the artist © Diane Borsato

Diane Bolsato (Ontario, Canada)
Terrestrial/Celestial
at Articule, 8 Sept. – 9 Oct. 2011 (Opening on Saturday 10 Sept., 6pm*)
dianeborsato.net


Jack Burman “Untitled #6, from the series The Dead (detail)” (1999) Courtesy of the artist and Clint Roenisch Gallery, Toronto © Jack Burman

Jack Burman (Ontario, Canada)
The Dead
at Arsenal, 8 Sept. – 9 Oct. 2011 (Opening on Thursday 8 Sept., 6pm*)
clintroenisch.com


Cao Fei “Whose Utopia (detail)” (2006) Courtesy of the artist and Vitamin Creative Space, Guangzhou © Cao Fei

Cao Fei (China)
Whose Utopia
at Centre d’Art et de Diffusion Clark, 1 Sept. – 8 Oct. 2011
(Opening on Saturday 10 Sept., 7pm)
caofei.com


Juan Manuel Echavarría “Requiem NN (detail)” (2006-2011) Courtesy of the artist and Josée Bienvenu Gallery, New York © Juan Manuel Echavarría

Juan Manuel Echavarría (Columbia / USA)
Requiems
at MAI (Montreal, Arts Interculturels), 10 Sept. – 10 Oct. 2011 (Opening and guided tour by the guest curator Anne-Marie Ninacs on Saturday 10 Sept., 3pm)
jmechavarria.com


Hans-Peter Feldmann “100 Jahre” (2001) Installation view. Courtesy of the artist © Hans-Peter Feldmann / SODRAC (2011)

Hans-Peter Feldmann (Germany)
100 Jahre
at Dazibao en Résidence à la Cinémathèque Québécoise, 8 Sept. – 9 Oct. 2011
(Opening on Friday 9 Sept., 6pm)
simonleegallery.com


Gemmiform “Deliquesce (detail)” (2010-2011) Courtesy of the artists © Nancy Belzile

Gemmiform (Québec, Canada)
Deliquesce
at Arsenal, 8 Sept. – 9 Oct. 2011 (Opening on Thursday 8 Sept., 6pm* / Performance Wednesday 7 Sept. at 6pm, during the pre-launch party)
mutek.org


Marco Godinho “Something White (detail)” (2008) Courtesy of the artist and Art Attitude Hervé Bize Gallery, Nancy © Marco Godinho

Marco Godinho (Portugal / Luxemburg / France)
Something White
at Arsenal, 8 Sept. – 9 Oct. 2011 (Opening on Thursday 8 Sept., 6pm*)
marcogodinho.com


Douglas Gordon “From God to Nothing” (1996) Installation view, Joan Miró Foundation (Barcelona), 2006. Photo : Pere Pratdesaba. Collection : Fonds régional d’art contemporain Languedoc-Roussillon. Courtesy of the artist, Joan Miró Foundation, and Studio lost but found (Frederik Pedersen) © Douglas Gordon

Douglas Gordon (UK / Germany)
From God To Nothing
at Arsenal, 8 Sept. – 9 Oct. 2011 (Opening on Thursday 8 Sept., 6pm)
presenhuber.com


Massimo Guerrera “Moment de suspension (Porus)” (2001) Courtesy of the artist, Galerie Joyce Yahouda, Montréal and Clint Roenisch Gallery, Toronto. © Massimo Guerrera

Massimo Guerrera (Québec, Canada)
Introspections photosensibles
at Centre d’Art et de Diffusion Clark, 1 Sept. – 8 Oct. 2011
(Opening on Saturday 10 Sept., 7pm)
clintroenisch.com


Roni Horn “Some Thames (detail)” (2000) Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth © Roni Horn

Roni Horn (USA)
Some Thames
at Galerie de l’UQAM, 6 Sept. – 8 Oct. 2011 (Opening on Friday 9 Sept., 6pm)
hauserwirth.com


Luis Jacob “Cabinet (Montréal) (detail)” (2011) Courtesy of Birch Libralato, Toronto

Luis Jacob (Ontario, Canada)
The Eye, The Hole, The Picture
at McCord Museum, 2 Sept. – 20 Nov. 2011 (Opening on Friday 9 Sept., 4pm*)
birchilbralato.com


Jesper Just “A Voyage in Dwelling (detail)” (2008) Courtesy of the artist and Emmanuel Perrotin Gallery, Paris © Jesper Just

Jesper Just (Denmark / USA)
Normad in One’s Own Mind
at Leonard & Bina Allen Gallery, Concordia University, 6 Sept. – 8 Oct. 2011
(Opening on Friday 9 Sept., 4pm)
jesperjust.com


Rinko Kawauchi “Untitled” from the series Illuminance (2009) Courtesy of the artist and FOIL Gallery, Tokyo, with the support of the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès © Rinko Kawauchi

Rinko Kawauchi (Japan)
Illuminance
at Arsenal, 8 Sept. – 9 Oct. 2011 (Opening on Thursday 8 Sept., 6pm*)
foiltokyo.com


Kimsooja “A Needle Woman” (2005) Nepal. Courtesy of Kimsooja Studio © Kimsooja

Kimsooja (South Korea / USA)
A Needle Woman
at Maison de la Culture, 8 Sept.– 9 Oct. 2011 (Opening on Saturday 10 Sept., 1pm)
kimsooja.com


Corine Lemieux “Cheveux de Massimo en vacances (detail)” from the series en cours de route (2010). Courtesy of the artist © Corine Lemieux

Corine Lemieux (Québec, Canada)
en cours de route
at Arsenal, 8 Sept. – 9 Oct. 2011 (Opening on Thursday 8 Sept., 6pm*)
joyceyahoudagallery.com


Cristina Nuñez “Someone to Love (detail)” (1988-2011) Courtesy of the artist © Cristina Nuñez

Cristina Nuñez (Spain)
Someone to Love
at Centre des Arts Actuels SKOL, 9 Sept. – 15 Oct. 2011 (Opening on Friday 9 Sept., 5pm*)
cristinanunez.com


Yann Pocreau “Se partager l’espace (detail)” (2011) Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Simon Blais © Yann Pocreau

Yann Pocreau (Québec, Canada)
Se partager l’espace
Public space interventions, (Opening on Thursday 8 Sept., 6pm at Arsenal*)
yanpocreau.com


Normand Rajotte “Untitled (detail)” from the series Comme un murmure (2004) Courtesy of the artist © Normand Rajotte

Normand Rajotte (Québec, Canada)
Comme un murmure
at Arsenal, 8 Sept. – 9 Oct. 2011 (Opening on Thursday 8 Sept., 6pm*)
normandrajotte.com


Augustin Rebetez “Untitled (detail)” from the series tout ce qui a le visage de la colère et n’élève pas la voix (2010) Courtesy of the artist © Augustin Rebetez

Augustin Rebetez (Switzerland)
Tout ce qui a le visage de la col̬re et nՎl̬ve pas le voix
at Arsenal, 8 Sept. – 9 Oct. 2011 (Opening on Thursday 8 Sept., 6pm*)
augustinrebetez.com


Claire Savoie “Aujourd’hui (dates-vidéos) (detail)” (2006-2011) Courtesy of the artist © Claire Savoie

Claire Savoie (Québec, Canada)
Aujourd’hui (dates-vidéos)
SBC Galerie d’Art Contemporain, 10 Sept. – 3 Dec. 2011 (Opening on Friday 9 Sept., 5pm*)
clairesavoie.com


Lisa Steele + Kim Tomczak “Becoming…M (detail)” (2008-2011) Courtesy of the artists © Lisa Steele, Kim Tomczak

Lisa Steele & Kim Tomczak (Ontario, Canada)
Becoming…
at Maison de la Culture du Plateau Mont-Royal, 10 Sept. – 3 Dec. 2011
(Opening on Friday 9 Sept., 5pm*)
steeleandtomczak.com


Jim Verburg “Untitled (Duo) (detail)” from the series Access Study (2011) Courtesy of the artist © Jim Verburg

Jim Verburg (Québec / Ontario, Canada)
One and Two
at B-312, 9 Sept.– 8 Oct. 2011, (Opening on Friday 9 Sept., 5pm*)
jimverburg.com

* The artists will be present at the opening receptions.

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