May 22nd 2010
Gilot, Winkler + Köperl are the focus of a newly published article in Le Devoir |
The exhibitions "The Performative City" and "Urbang", presented at Optica until June 12th, are the subject of a newly published article by Jérôme Delgado Cités de demain, cités d'aujourd'hui (Le Devoir, May 22th-23th 2010) |
April 20th 2010
Sylvia Winkler + Stephan Köperl at the Earth Day, Thursday, April 22nd 2010 |
PPR: Passenger Propelled Rickshaw / Earth Day 2010
Sylvia Winkler & Stephan Köperl
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Square Saint-Louis:: 12pm - 2pm
Goethe-Institut, 418 Sherbrooke E.:: 3pm - 5:30pm
THE PPR* EXPERIENCE
Discover a new means of transportation developed by Sylvia Winkler, Stephan Köperl and artists from India
With their PPR, the passenger propelled rickshaw, Sylvia Winkler and Stephan Köperl encourage people from all walks of life to use this healthy and eco-friendly means of transport. In this vehicle the hierarchy of passenger/puller is transformed into a collaborative unit in which physical power and logistical knowledge are shared to bring things forward. Please take a breathtaking ride on our PPR to fuel the dream of a post-oil society!
|
April 6th 2010
Launch of the DVD "Diane Landry, installations & performances 2008-2009" : Thursday, April 8th (5 pm - 7 pm) at le Port de tête |
The DVD "Diane Landry, installations & performances 2008-2009" is a compilation of 5 installations and 3 performances presented throughout 2008-2009. It also includes a booklet with an essay by Alison Syme entitled Knight of Infinte Resignation & What Comes Out in the Wash which accompanies the exhibition Knight of Infinite Resignation, a project created by Diane Landry, and commissioned by l´Œil de Poisson with funding from the Canada Council for Arts. The exhibition was presented for the first time in Québec City from September 11 to October 18, 2009. It is currently being shown at Optica until April, 17th 2010.
Diane Landry, installations & performances 2008-2009
28 pages booklet with color photos
DVD
Video ntsc ~ 45 min
5 installations & 3 performances 2008-2009
extra : 2 interviews and technical documentation of the performance l’Imperméable.
ISBN 978-2-9803525-9-1
Le Port de tête
262, Mont-Royal E., Montreal |
March 20th 2010
Diane Landry "Knight of Infinite Resignation" is the subject of a newly published article in Le Devoir |
Diane Landry's exhibition "Knight of Infinite Resignation", presented at Optica until April 17th, is the subject of a newly published article by Marie-Ève Charron Roues égrenant le temps (Le Devoir, 20-21 mars 2010) |
March 11th 2010
Yan Giguère "Attractions" is the subject of a newly published article in CV84 |
Yan Giguère's exhibition "Attractions", presented at Optica in the fall of 2009, is the subject of a newly published article by Sylvain Campeau Yan Giguère (CV84, spring 2010) |
March 11th 2010
Sophie Bélair Clément "Le son du projecteur" is the subject of a newly published article in Cmagazine |
Sophie Bélair Clément's exhibition "Le son du projecteur", presented at Optica in the fall of 2009, is the subject of a newly published article by Jesse Mckee Sophie Bélair Clément : Le son du projecteur (Cmagazine, spring 2010) |
March 10th 2010
Gabor Szilasi won the Governor general's Award in Visual and Media Arts |
«Forcier, Tousignant et Szilasi remportent les Prix du Gouverneur général»
Le Devoir et La Presse canadienne
Original document (in French) :
«[...] Quant au photographe Gabor Szilasi, on écrit qu'il perçoit, depuis plus de 50 ans, «le présent avec acuité et saisit, en 1/125 de seconde, l'urgence de témoigner de l'éphémère expression de la nature humaine». Toujours actif malgré ses 81 ans, Szilasi s'est beaucoup intéressé à la nature humaine et à l'architecture. Son travail a fait l'objet d'une rétrospective à l'été 2009 au Musée d'art de Joliette.» Forcier, Tousignant et Szilasi remportent les Prix du Gouverneur général (Le Devoir, édition du 10 mars 2010) |
January 16th 2010
Artist projects freely distributed as posters |
As of January 2010, original artist projects related to OPTICA’s programming and archives are freely distributed as posters at the gallery, as well as in different libraries, artist run centres, and museums. The first posters highlight the work of Anne-Lise Seusse, Gabor Szilasi, and, soon, Stéphane Gilot. A list of points of distribution is available on our website. OPTICA invites you then on a contemporary art circuit throughout the city : keep an eye out, look around, and start a collection!
|
December 31st 2009
"La demeure" (2002) : one of last decade's important exhibitions for art critic Jérôme Delgado |
"La demeure" is part of Jerôme Delgado's personal chronology of a first decade spent as a critic :
Original document (in French) :
"Septembre 2002, la thématique. La demeure, Optica, un centre d'art contemporain. Dix-huit artistes sont éparpillés à travers la ville, dans des lieux autant publics que privés. Le thème — l'habitat, une réalité nomade et précaire — rassemble des oeuvres coup-de-poing, telles que Trou, une roulotte transformée par Michel de Broin, les ballons en latex encombrants d'Ana Rewakowicz ou les murales en sucre de Shelley Miller. La commissaire: Marie Fraser, désormais conservatrice en chef au MACM."
(De Visu - Couvrir depuis 2000, Le Devoir, édition du 31 décembre 2009.) |
October 10th 2009
Mallarmé. Le Livre at the S.M.A.K. |
As part of Klaus Scherüber’s exhibition at the S.M.A.K. (Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst, in Ghent) next October 10 to January 31, the publishers mfc-michèle didier will bring out the Dutch version of Malllarmé, The Book. A special edition comprising the four existing versions - Das Buch (Walther Koenig Verlag, 2001), The Book (Printed Matter Inc., 2004), Le Livre (Optica and Mudam Luxembourg, 2005), and Het Boek (mfc-michèle didier, 2009) — will also be presented. This box set will be issued in only 24 copies and reserved for museums and collectors... if you’re one, don’t miss your chance! |
from September 15th 2009 to December 18th 2009
Archives internship : Stéphanie Laoun @ OPTICA |
From September to December 2009, OPTICA has had the pleasure welcoming Stéphanie Laoun, third-year art history student and member of Concordia University’s Institute for Co-operative Education. After her internships at the McCord Museum and the Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery, she joined the ambitious project of processing and promoting our archives: "This has been a very enriching experience for me, not only due to the variety of archival material I got to work with, but also because of the support I received from the gallery staff. I consider myself privileged to have participated in the Décades project." The results of her research—covering the years 1980-1997—have already been included in our printed educational material and will be put online throughout the year.
|
from September 1st 2009 to November 30th 2009
Résidence de recherche jeune création : Anne-Lise Seusse @ OPTICA |
Originally from Lyon, France, Anne-Lise Seusse produces photographic work that broaches issues of territory, especially the micro phenomena of the ritualization of particular spaces through leisure activities. The creation of these singular communities - skeet-shooting retirees, or free riders traversing a military zone - gnerates situations that sometimes run counter to the location's "political" organization. Seusse's journalistic forays seek out such areas of slippage and confrontation. She pursues her research in Montreal, making portraits of young roleplayers taking part in medieval fantasy live action games at the Mont-Royal. |
April 23rd 2009
Diane Morin's and David Dupont's artists' books launch : April 23rd in Valence, June 13th in Montreal |
This publication follows up on research residencies undertaken by David Dupont (Grenoble) in Montreal and Diane Morin (Montreal) in Valence. This project was made possible with the support of the ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition féminine du Québec, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, and Région Rhône-Alpes. It includes a booklet with an exchange between Optica director Marie-Josée Lafortune and Sylvie Vojik of art3, a text by author André-Louis Paré, and the artist's books of David Dupont (link currently available in French only) and Diane Morin (link currently available in French only).
Book launches on April 23rd at l'École des beaux-arts de Valence and on June 13th at OPTICA.
See our publications' catalogue. (link currently available in French only)
Available at the following editors and distributors :
OPTICA, a centre for contemporary art
372 Ste-Catherine Ouest, room 508
Montreal, Quebec H3B 1A2 Canada
T + 514 874 1666
F + 514 874 1682
www.optica.ca
art3
8, rue Sabaterie
F-26000 Valence
France
T +33 (0)4 75 55 31 24
F + 33 (0)4 75 55 01 42
www.art-3.org
r-diffusion
6 Rue Saint Guillaume
67000 STRASBOURG France
T +33 (0)6 61 83 59 00
F +33 (0)3 88 55 93 31
www.rdiffusion.free.fr
|
January 1st 2009
Reference works available for consultation at the gallery |
OPTICA houses an important library of monographic publications and exhibition catalogues, from Canada, the United States, and abroad. The public may visit the gallery to consult titles in the collection. A database has been set up to assist research. For enquiries, please call the gallery. |
