HUNTED HOUSE: “Dorea” by Mattera and Joly

Galerie [SAS] (372 Ste-Catherine W., #416) has settled into summer with two fantastic new shows that opened last week and run until the end of August.

In Espace 1, the large-scale photographic diptychs by Marie-Reine Mattera and Emmanuel Joly are haunting and evocative. Set at the Dorea Institute, an orphanage that was closed in 1998, these impressionistic images are aesthetically gorgeous and rich with the echoes and accoutrements of lives lived: graffiti, broken furniture and abandoned toys.

Having discovered the space by accident, the photographers began to explore, occasionally stepping in front of the camera, their figures like ghosts—a reminder that many children spent their young lives in this prison-like setting.

Mathieu Valade’s “Monumental Toc” is a delight. Set into the small room adjacent to the main gallery, the installation appears at first to be a series of blocks set into the wall and accompanied by a mechanical hum.

Further inspection reveals a series of miniature wonders either cut into or mounted underneath each square.

In “Arbre,” a small plastic tree circles around the figure a young girl as if by magic, while the famous icons representing Playboy and Superman are illuminated on two neighbouring squares.

by STACEY DEWOLFE

Vive la Nouvelle France

LIBERATED ANCESTORS?
Canadian woman and man circa 1749

If you’re the attentive type, you may have noticed a lot of French people around these parts. How did that happen? That’s a question that the Pointe-à-Callière, Montreal’s Museum of Archaeology and History (350 Place Royale), is looking to answer with its exhibit France, New France: Birth of a French People in North America.

“It’s chronological but the focus is on people,” says Louise Pothier, one of the exhibition’s project managers. The exhibition documents aspects of daily life at different periods of colonization, from the problem of male-only settlement to the emergence of distinctions between French-born and Canadian-born citizens.

“Very early on, there was a difference between how Canadians and French were perceived. [The Canadians] were often looked at with contempt for their ‘spirit of liberty,’ which came from close contact with Amerindians,” says Pothier.

At its height, New France covered two thirds of North America. While the English were mostly concerned with the 13 Colonies, New France stretched from the North of Quebec to the American South.

The exhibit also touches on darker aspects of New France’s history, including the displacement of native populations, slavery in Louisiana and the burning of Acadian villages by the British.

Until October 12. See www.pacmuseum.qc.ca for details.

by MATT JONES

Glorious naked females

Persuasion, an exhibition of paintings by local artist Kevin Ledo at Ctrl Lab (3634 St-Laurent), reveals his appreciation of the female body in all its naked glory.

Ledo’s fascination with the techniques and imagery employed by mass media to promote idealized notions of beauty is also made apparent here by the use of acrylics, whose texture and tones speak to the influence of graphic art on his aesthetic.

DARK LADY:
“Luster of Luxury”

There is something of the voyeur at work here. Rendered mostly in close-up so that their faces remain hidden and their identities undiscovered, the women in the paintings seem oblivious to their observer. From this perspective, we can only gaze upon their shoulders, thighs and breasts, made equally complicit by the limitations of the frame.

Because of this, Ledo walks a fine line, in danger of encouraging the same misperceptions he seeks to challenge, a risk he acknowledges directly.

“It may be considered that I’m perpetuating unrealistic ideals of beauty, although I enjoy the idea that I’m mirroring our cultural ‘ideals’ and leaving it up to the viewer to decide.”

The vernissage takes place tomorrow, Friday, June 27 at 6 p.m

by STACEY DEWOLFE

 

Worldly wordsmith

Globetrotting spoken word artist and songwriter NeEma has spent most of the last year touring and playing on at least three continents.

GLOBAL VOCAL: NeEma

“In Australia, there were weeks where I was flying every day and playing every night,” says NeEma. The hard work on the road has lent itself to her creative process, as it’s a perfect opportunity to try out new material on an audience.

“For the new album, 90 per cent has already been written, performed and then worked on more,” NeEma explains.

“I really feel like they’re ready now to be recorded.”

NeEma plays this Friday, June 27 at 7:30 p.m., at the Atwater Library (1200 Atwater) as part of the third annual Summer Solstice Literary and Musical Cabaret. She shares the stage with Irish storyteller Mike Burns, internationally acclaimed tango dancer Mary Ann Lacey and a reading of George Bernard Shaw’s Village Wooing by Pierre Lenoir and Laura Mitchell.

Admission by voluntary donation to the Atwater Library Piano Fund.

by VINCENT TINGUELY

Is it art?

LULLABIES FOR ADULTS: For many, listening to your headphones as you fall asleep was a habit you dropped when you moved out of your parents’ house. But not everyone can fall asleep to the sound of silence.

For those who sleep supine, there’s a new pillow in town, one that allows you to discard your nighttime headphones once and for all.

Developed by earplug specialists Sensorcom, the Sound Oasis Pillow comes with built-in speakers placed deep within the foam, allowing you to rock yourself to sleep without disturbing any nearby sleeping partners.

The pillow comes equipped with a 3.5-millimetre jack, which easily plugs into most audio devices, like stereos, CD and mp3 players. And the speakers are easily removable, allowing you to throw the pillow in the wash without the fear of electrocution. Get yours for $60 at www.sensorcom.com.

Arts hole

HISTORY REDUX: Centre St- Ambroise (5080 St-Ambroise) presents A Brief Canadian History, a multi-media music performance that raises awareness of First Nations and Canadian art, culture and history. Join the celebration on Canada Day, Tuesday, July 1 at 8 p.m. • GROUPING: Three diverse artists—Carl Ostendarp, Peter Schuyff, Yves Tessier—exhibit their unique styles side by side at Projex-Mtl Galerie (372 Ste-Catherine W. #212). The show continues until July 19. • MAKING THEIR MARK: Central Stamp & Seal Inc. (3418 Parc) makes its way into the world of art with AMO, a new exhibition of drawings and prints by Jennifer Hamilton. The show runs until July 25.

Artistat

The number of works on view, until December 7, 2008, at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts as part of the show Refus global: 60 Years Later: 34