YYZ OPENING RECEPTION: SATURDAY 13 APRIL 2013, 1:00PM-5:00PM
YYZ Artists' Outlet
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OPENING RECEPTION JEAN-FRANÇOIS CÔTÉ | THE CHORUS EVENTS GALLERY HOURS FOR INTERVIEWS
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| JEAN-FRANÇOIS CÔTÉ | THE CHORUS
Jean-François Côté: The Chorus. Image courtesy of the artist. The project was developed in July 2010 at the Red Gate International Artist in Residency Program in Beijing. It is a multiple channel video installation structured to traverse between the realms of fiction and documentary, as well as the imagined and real lives of the people in the video. Côté explores this idea by working with a chorus of elderly Chinese whose lives have been marked by particular historical eras. This elderly group is linked/mirrored to a younger generation by way of separate projections as each perform a song based on Snow, a Mao poem first published in 1936. The performance of this well-known poem by two different generations serves as a hinge to explore many cultural, historical, and individual turning points. This video installation is an elaboration of ideas and techniques explored in Côté’s previous projects. The work orchestrates a complicated dynamic between image and sound by presenting the video image as an installation in space. From the outset of this new cycle of creation, he maintains a conceptual bias that underlines the ideological aspect of the work as well as its various narrative possibilities. The installation employs the convention of family portrait that gathers a group of people with similarities and differences. The work also includes footage of the preparation for the performances. This inclusion allows Côté to examine closely what the protagonists are experiencing, by taking into account attitudes and actions that are usually eliminated when the “real” scene starts. The conventions of family portrait and the chorus are ways to materialize reminiscence and synthesize collective memory. Stylistically, the video is distinguished by its symmetrical, front-facing shots. Just as symmetrically structured traditional Chinese architecture incorporates a conception of space that allows one to experience the outdoor while remaining inside, the videos are made in a traditional temple that infuses the work with an aura of the past. The presentation of the project comprises four video projections: the chorus of elderly people, the young singer and close-ups of individuals. This setup reinforces the idea of dialogue between generations. The spatial distribution of the videos and the aural distribution of the voices are designed to envelope the spectator in the image and sound of the chorus. JEAN-FRANÇOIS CÔTÉ earned his Ph.D. in visual arts and art history at Université Laval with a grant from the Fonds québécois de recherche sur la société et la culture. Solo exhibitions include presentations at the Studio d’essai of Méduse; at VU; at the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo in the context of the 8th Bienal de Video Y Nuevos Medios de Santiago, Chile; in the context of the Mois Multi; and at the Yuanfen Gallery of Beijing, China. Côté was Professor in Time-Based Art and Photography at York University in Toronto. He is now Professor in Media Art at Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières. He received support from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and from the Canada Council for the Arts. This project is realized with the funding from de Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec. With gratitude : Rosée, Yam Lau, the people of the chorus, Martin Bureau, Patrick Saint-Denis, Guo Yuejin, Kate Lu, Sun Xue Jun, Zhong Jao, Meng Xiang Cheng, Zhao Guo Hua, the people of the Dongyue temple, Mister Wang, Li Caiping, Red Gate Gallery, La Bande Vidéo, Les Productions Recto Verso.
PATTY CHANG & NOAH KLERSFELD | CURRENTS
Patty Chang & Noah Klersfeld: Current (video still). Image courtesty of the artists. LAX comes to YYZ in this installation by Patty Chang and Noah Klersfeld. Originally created for the newly renovated Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX, the Los Angeles international airport, this project turns the airport inside out, exposing the internecine workings of baggage transport systems. In this iteration of the installation, two kaleidoscopic videos play one after the other. First, sixteen screens show sixteen different journeys on the conveyor belts from the check-in counters to the baggage sorters. The position of the camera puts the viewer in the place of the luggage, thus revealing a normally unseen world, but also taking the viewer on a barebones funhouse ride through the efficient and very blue interiors of the non-public side of the airport. Then the sixteen screens simultaneously show the repeated image of a houseplant making that same journey. The comic homeliness of the houseplant, so out of place in this environment, speaks to the vulnerability of all things that travel, be they human or inanimate, as they are inspected, processed and transported through environments that range from rudimentary to luxurious. The untroubled journey of the houseplant also shows us how surprisingly gentle the massive system of conveyer belts can be. As Klersfeld puts it, “We wanted to pull back the curtain and give travelers a glimpse of the inner workings of this massive global transportation network in a personal way. A houseplant is a very distinct icon of domesticity. It’s vulnerable but strong.” PATTY CHANG is well known for her performative works, which deal with themes of gender, language, and empathy. Working predominantly in video, Chang initially uses the medium to document her performances, often utilizing the camera’s potential to misrepresent. Her work has been exhibited at such institutions as the Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY; the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, CA; and the Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Sweden. She is currently a resident at the Fonderie Darling in Montreal. NOAH KLERSFELD is an artist and architect living and working in New York City. His recent exhibitions and screenings include The Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago, IL; The Islip Art Museum, East Islip, NY; and Freight + Volume Gallery, New York, NY. His video Payroll has received awards from The Center on Contemporary Arts, Seattle, WA and the ASU Film and Video Festival, Tempe, AZ. He has an upcoming solo exhibition at the Hunterdon Art Museum, Clinton, NJ.
EVENTS
Artists' Health Alliance. SPRING FORWARD SERIES | WORKSHOPS FOR ARTISTS Workshops hosted by Hima Soni and Shibani Somani of Just IDEAS. Only $60 for the series, $25 for one, and $20 for students and seniors. Worshops will be held at the Centre for Social Innovation, 215 Spadina Avenue. Register today at artistshealth.com or call 416.351.0239. Space is limited. Mind Detox Recognize and understand the different toxins that we Balancing Act Our busy life places many demands on our energy, Unlock Your Potential Are you ready to free yourself from limitations, open
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