Artful Summer in Québec

Rebecca Belmore “The Named and The Unnamed” (2002) Video installation. Courtesy of Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery

Every summer, the province of Québec hosts two well-attended contemporary art symposiums, the International Symposium of Contemporary Art in Baie-Saint-Paul (le Symposium international d’art contemporain de Baie-Saint-Paul) and the International Symposium of Contemporary In Situ Art in Val-David (le Symposium international art in situ de Val-David). Both boast a long history, as the former has been around for 29 years – the longest running symposium in Canada – and the latter for a commendable 11. In spite of their longevity, these can still be considered as hidden gems, unbeknown to outsiders of Canada or francophone communities. Here is a quick introduction, also serving as announcement for the forthcoming opening of the Baie-Saint-Paul Symposium.

The 29th Baie-Saint-Paul International Symposium of Contemporary Art
29 July to 28 August 2011
Special opening parade: Friday 29 July 7.30pm

Theme: Storytellers
Guest Curator: Stefan St-Laurent

Guest artists include: Daniel Barrow (Montréal, QC), Diane Obomsawin (Montréal, QC), Dominique Petrin (Montréal, QC) Emilie Roby (Montréal, QC), Isabelle Demers (Québec City, QC), Jimmy Perron (Éboulements, QC), Rebecca Belmore (Vancouver, BC), Osvaldo Yero (Vancouver, BC), Mario Doucette (Moncton, NB), Guillermo Trejo (Ottawa, ON), Olivier de Sagazan (St-Nazaire, France) and Basim Magdy (Cairo, Egypt).

Dynamic forms of storytelling and image narratives are emerging evermore in today’s world, giving artists so many possibilities to explore and to integrate diverse media and disciplines. This symposium offers a glimpse of the extraordinary diversity in which contemporary artists may now share their vision and stories with the public.

Storytelling is found in every culture and civilization: an imaginative and engaging activity in bringing together people to share myths, morals and fantasies captured within ancient or untold stories, to experience in a communal setting.

The twelve Canadian and international visual and performance artists invited to participate in this year’s Symposium have all demonstrated a keen interest in challenging our assumptions of storytelling.

Baie-Saint-Paul Symposium will open on 29 July in a carnivalesque ceremony, seeing the invited artists parade through the centre-streets of Baie-Saint-Paul, accompanied with the music of “The Klestroy”. M-KOS will keep its fingers crossed for nice weather; otherwise the parade will be contained inside of the Symposium arena. During the month-long event, members of the public may freely visit this arena, to see each artist create a new ambitious work based on the given theme. At the Symposium’s closure, the finished works will be exhibited at the Baie-Saint-Paul Museum of Contemporary Art.

Many programs are offered to the public concurrently to the Symposium. Family workshops are held Tuesdays to Sundays, a scheduled roundtable will discuss the future of Contemporary art magazines in Canada, fund raising events, performances as well as film screenings.

For more info: www.symposium-baiesaintpaul.com

The 11th Val-David International Symposium of Contemporary In Situ Art
16 July to 5 September 2011
Theme: Legacy

Curator: Emmanuel Galland
Artistic Director: René Derouin

Guest artists include: BGL (Quebec City, QC) Pascale Girardin (Montréal, QC) Jean-Jules Soucy (La Baie, QC), Terrance Houle (Calgary, AB), Jean-Denis Boudreau (Moncton, NB), Betsabeé Romero (Mexico), Cal Lane (New York), José Luis Torres (Montmagny, QC) guest poet: Joséphine Bacon (Montréal); guest composer: Cristina García Islas (Montréal, QC)

Ten artists from Canada, US and Mexico have been invited to produce artworks displayed along three kilometers of forest trails in Val-David, as well as other works contributed by a poet and composer in-residence. Guided tours are provided on weekends, as well as opportunities to meet the invited artists and discuss their work in the Symposium. Visitors can also enjoy unassisted viewing, indulging in a treasure-hunting adventure for contemporary art in the wilderness.

For more info: www.jardinsduprecambrien.com

Présentation des artistes du Symposium international d’art in situ 2011 from Les jardins du précambrien on Vimeo.