September 5–October 11, 2014
Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery
Concordia University
1400, boul. de Maisonneuve West
Montreal (Québec)
Canada H3G 1M8
An event initiated by Romeo Gongora and organised by Anithe de Carvalho, Francine Couture, CUTV, Kester Dyer, Les Éditions de la Tournure, Géraldine Eguiluz, Les Filles électriques, Romeo Gongora, Ève Lamoureux, La Médiathèque littéraire Gaëtan Dostie, Pierre Lefebvre, Norman Nawrocki, Felicity Tayler, University of the Streets Café and many others.
The famous and controversial statement uttered by Canada’s former Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau was a response to the political crisis that swept Quebec in the wake of the Quiet Revolution. The 1970s were a period of major transformations for Quebec society. For the generation to which Romeo Gongora belongs, revisiting the social and political issues which arose during this period is crucial in order to pursue a continuous quiet revolution.
On the one hand, Just Watch Me will stimulate thought regarding identity construction, and more specifically of a neo-Québécois identity which the architects of the Quiet Revolution made possible through their endeavours. On the other, it will explore the role of the artist as a social actor as well as the state’s role in art, thus reviving the will to integrate art into society that was so prevalent in the 1970s.
This collaborative project will transform the gallery into an immersive environment inspired by artist collectives who impacted modernity in Quebec: the Mousse Spacthèque, the Fusion des arts group, the Fondation du théâtre d’environnement intégral and the periodicals Parti Pris and Liberté, among others. Comprising several performance activities and works, which will involve the public throughout the month, the event will turn the gallery into a social club focused on dialogue and collective creation.
This way of coming together and of thinking through identity in its various forms is part of an artistic practice that proposes social and political alternatives through mediation work based on the notion of critical consciousness or “conscientization” (as theorized by Paulo Freire), participative action (according to Orlando Fals Borda) and transdisciplinarity.
The exhibition is made possible with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the generous contribution of MOOG Audio.
Free admission and wheelchair accessible.
Information about daily activities during the event, opening hours and schedules can be found by following these links:
Project website / the Events section on our website / Facebook
Information:
Marina Polosa: T +514 848 2424 ext. 4778 / [email protected]