Shary Boyle: Outside the Palace of Me @ MMFA > January 15 2022

Detail The Procession, 2021, by Shary Boyle  Photo © Lena Ghio , 2022

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What a delightful experience it has been to share time and space with Canadian artist Shary Boyle. Her exhibition Outside the Palace of Me, at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts until January 15 2022, dazzled me. 

Judy 2021, by Shary Boyle 
Photo © Lena Ghio , 2022

It is presented onto a theatrical structure: the lodge, backstage, the stage,  the star, a puppeteer show at the wax Museum, the parade, the orchestra, whiteness and The End. A total metaphor of the mysterious phenomena we share that is human life, our wild creations, our quest for identity and meaningfulness.

Every facet of the presentation is layered with masks, hidden and revealed subjects and structures.

I fell in love with her porcelain sculptures that you will see only after you have entered the main floor. They are at once whimsical, exquisitely made, colourful. She blends stoneware, gold lustre, brass rod, terra cotta, glazes, wood and more and enchantment manifests.

THE STRANGE CASE of Kyle Rittenhouse and her 2019 drawing Lone Gunman (white man). We had to discuss it, it is just too prophetic! In her drawing, a plump blond boy is coming down the street with his machine gun as all life forms run for their lives. It is so bizarre! The Rittenhouse case is such a blatant miscarriage of justice it is terrifying! I think you will get chills! I did!

Shary Boyle  Photo © Lena Ghio , 2022

In the photo on the right, we see the artist listening attentively to the curators presenting the exhibition. There is a depth to her character that I wanted to share. Do not miss this wonderful exhibition!

An exhibition organized by the Gardiner Museum, Toronto, in collaboration with the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. It is curated by Sequoia Miller, PhD, Chief Curator of the Gardiner Museum. The curator in charge of the exhibition at the MMFA is Alexandrine Théorêt, Assistant Curator of International Modern and Contemporary Art.

LENA GHIO   

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MONTREAL VISUAL ART fall 2022 season

Hugues Charbonneau speaking of his luminous new art space in front of Manuel Mathieu's colourful abstract paintings. Photo © Lena Ghio , 2022

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MANUEL MATHIEU >

Manuel Mathieu 
Photo © Lena Ghio , 2022

Manuel Mathieu made headlines in recent years for launching the biggest personal injury lawsuit in Britain after being struck by a man driving a stolen moped in November 2015 when he was studying for a Fine Art masters at Goldsmiths. I refer to the incident because when we met him in the recently refurbished new space of Galerie Hugues Charbonneau he mentioned how his recovery had impacted his perception of life, how he was able to produce his artwork and how his thought processes operated in general. In my opinion, the trauma of the accident still affects him deeply. It is hard to explain but every once in a while we can catch him in a far away reverie. 

He is a gentle and thoughtful man who took us on a descriptive tour of the gorgeous paintings you will see at Galerie Hugues Charbonneau on the fifth floor of Montreal's Belgo Building.

His international reputation is built on his thickly layered paintings that blend abstraction with figurative motifs. Some spaces on the canvases are thinly covered while others are so thick with multicoloured layers of paint they look like ceramic.

The exhibition features sculptures, paintings, poetry and drawings that take us to the depths of our human concerns; like the colourful painting below, Study on Death, 2022; to more mundane situations like in L'Éveil, 2022 where we get the sense that someone is having their morning coffee.

Manuel Mathieu: Dear mélancolie will be shown until October 22, 2022. I hope you take it in.

Study on Death, 2022 © Manuel Mathieu

DIANE ARBUS > Photographs, 1956 -1971

Diane Arbus (1923-1971), Untitled (49), 1970–1971, gelatin silver print; printed by Neil Selkirk, sheet: 50.8 x 40.6 cm. Art Gallery of Ontario, anonymous gift, 2016. Copyright © Estate of Diane Arbus

The first ever photograph I saw of Diane Arbus  was Child with a toy hand grenade in Central Park, taken in 1962. It was featured in an old magasine and I remember having been moved by the bizarre countenance of the child and his very thin frame. 

Her uncanny and unflinching look at the limitless morphologies and lifestyles of the people who were in New York city in the mid twentieth century is prophetic as it presages what many individuals are struggling with today in terms of forging their identity. 

Perhaps she identified with those that society identifies as misfits as she suffered from emotional distress; from the description of the symptoms it looks like she was bipolar with huge mood swings; and ended her life at age 48 in 1971.

The exhibition takes us in the changing rooms of drag queens in the city nightclubs, it captures the many ethnicities that moved in the bustling metropolis, and the oddly shaped that we tend to overlook but that are so fascinating.

You can spend time with the evocative black and white photographs at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts until January 29 2023.

The exhibition is curated by Sophie Hackett, Curator of Photography, AGO. Anne Grace, Curator of Modern Art, MMFA, is the curator for the Montreal presentation

MICHEL HUNEAULT > INCIPIT - COVID - 19

Michel Huneault presenting his exhibition INCIPIT – COVID-19 / Photo © Lena Ghio , 2022

The McCord Museum has commissioned photographer Michel Huneault in the spring of 2020 to freely document all he could about the emerging COVID pandemic in Montreal. It felt so strange to revisit these tragic scenes of people suffering, waiting in lines to get tested, older people dying, front line health care workers with their faces scared by all the protective clothes and masks they had to wear.

I was shocked by how quickly I had forgotten certain features of the early pandemic. We were so uninformed and went through it almost blindly. 

The visit will surely evoke memories, especially if you lost family members or friends due to COVID.

The exhibition is ongoing until January 22, 2023 at the McCord Museum.

LENA GHIO   

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TÉNOR

BANDE ANNONCE

Le nouveau film de Claude Zidi jr ouvre sur une bataille de rue entre deux hommes au torses nus. MB14, aka Mohammed Belkhir, joue le rôle d'Antoine, banlieusard parisien qui est bourré de talent mais qui trafique dans un job banal de livreur de sushi. 

Michèle Laroque est Madame Loyseau, professeure de chant à l'Opéra Garnier, qui sera sidérée par la voix extraordinaire du jeune livreur. S'en suit une belle aventure de recherche de soi. Antoine se cherche dans son quartier aux cultures diverses. C'est un rappeur qui rencontre l'opéra et ça fonctionne à merveille. 

Le film combine les deux styles de musiques harmonieusement et dynamiquement. Les personnages sont complexes mais attachants. On passe beaucoup de temps à l'intérieur du luxueux Opéra Garnier et cela m'enchante. 

C'est un film magnifique, plein d'émotions, d'humour, de musique et de chant. Dans les cinémas maintenant!

À ne pas manquer!

LENA GHIO   

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Homenaje a Martín Urieta

MARTIN URIETA 

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Mariachi Figueroa 

Martín Urieta es un legendario cantante y compositor que también es presidente de la Sociedad de Autores y Compositores de México.

El pasado 9 de septiembre nos reunimos en el Consulado de Mexico en Montreal para celebrar los logros de su vida. La experienca la compartió Martin Urieta por transmissión en vivo. El Mariachi Figueroa actuó para el famoso cantante con el cantante Chava Colin (abajo) y Señor Urieta estaba visiblemente emocionado.

Aunque no pude entrevistar al Señor Urieta, encontré esta maravillosa entrevista que se publico en 2020 que puede darte una idea de este gran talento.

Mientras comparto este artículo, es el Mes Nacional de la Herencia Hispana del 15 de septiembre al 15 de octubre, al celebrar las historias, culturas y contribuciones de los ciudadanos estadounidenses cuyos antepasados vinieron de España, México, el Caribe y América Central y del Sur.

LENA GHIO   

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SNIPER: THE WHITE RAVEN now on DVD & Blue Ray

TRAILER

What an excellent movie! Based on a true story, we retrace the path that transformed a modest ecology loving professor, Mykola played by Aldoshyn Pavlo, into one of Ukraine's best snipper.

Mykola and his wife Nastya, Maryna Koshkina, are dedicated to living very close to nature to work on the climate crisis. They live an idyllic life in a field close to Donbas where pregnant Natsya works on her art and Mykola rides his bike to school where he teaches everyday. Then, the Russians invade Crimea in 2014.

The high points of this tightly structured feature film begin with the high quality of performances by the entire ensemble. Our emotions are immediately engaged and ride the wave of the relentless battles until the last tear drop.

Marian Bushan and Mykola Voronin wrote the screenplay and Marian Bushan directs the film with exquisite discipline. It is a tight ship where the military leaders, from hellish operation centres, train their troops and take them to the field in dangerous operations. We come as close as anyone can to living the experience of being a sniper in a dangerous war with a merciless enemy.

I highly recommend this movie for the experience it allows us to share with the people of Ukraine who have been unfairly and savagely attacked for centuries. 

Available on DVD & Blue Ray now. 

LENA GHIO   

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RENÉ LÉVÊSQUE • 100 ANS • LE politicien qui a tout changé > 10 novembre 2022

La photo parfaite pour représenter LE politicien Québécois qui a tout changé! Photo © Lena Ghio , 2022

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L’Espace René-Lévesque à Montréal : le parcours d’un homme d’exception

Photo © Lena Ghio , 2022

Le 24 août 2022 était le centième anniversaire de René Lévêsque, LE politicien qui a tout changé. Comme c'est toujours le cas, on oublie ce que les vrais visionnaires ont accompli pour le monde moderne. Quelquefois on partage la terre avec eux quelques instants sans comprendre d'où ils ont puisé leur passion et leur vision. Tel est le cas pour moi qui, en tant qu'étudiante rebelle dans les beaux-arts et les lettres, ne portaient aucune attention à la politique.

Aujourd'hui, on ne peut plus comprendre le poids de l'oppression qui affligeait les Québécois francophones depuis des siècles. La religion catholique d'un côté et le milieu professionnel de l'autre assuraient que les francophones étaient pour la plupart pauvres et défavorisés. J'ai un example de cela dans ma propre famille. Quand ma mère était une jeune fille, elle ne parlait pas l'anglais. Elle aurait aimé travailler dans un des luxueux grands magasins de Montréal: Eaton, Simpson, Ogilvy: pour en nommé quelques-uns. Cependant, on n'engageait que des anglophones ou des bilingues à l'époque, et ce dans plusieurs entreprises. Ceci voulait dire que les francophones n'avaient pas accès à de bons postes de travail dans leur propre pays!

Dans cette fascinante exposition, on retrace l'évolution de René Lévêsque dès son enfance à New Carlisle (comté de Bonaventure, Gaspésie), on retrace les grandes amitiés qu'il forge à l'université dont Jean Marchand et Robert Cliche, on retrace son temps en Europe en tant que correspondant durant la seconde guerre mondiale et plus encore. J'ai adoré ce parcours située sur la promenade des Artistes.

La réalisation de cette importante exposition a réuni plusieurs personnes pendant de longues années de recherches et de documentations. On doit souligner le travail d' Hélène Leclère, Espace René-Lévesque et au commissaire Daniel Fortin qui ont si bien réduit des masses d'informations et d'images à un contenu rigoureux et cohérent. 

INFORMATIONS PRATIQUES

L’ESPACE RENÉ-LÉVESQUE À MONTRÉAL : LE PARCOURS D’UN HOMME D’EXCEPTION

Tous les jours, du 24 août au 10 novembre 2022

Exposition de l’Espace René-Lévesque à Montréal
Promenade des Artistes

Quelque chose comme un grand homme

Court-métrage documentaire de Luc Cyr
Livre de témoignages à René Lévesque 
Tous les jours, de 12 h à 20 h. Un guide médiateur sera également sur place.
Espace culturel Georges-Émile-Lapalme de la Place des Arts

Vidéoprojection
Tous les jours, de la tombée du jour à 23 h
Pavillon Président-Kennedy de l’UQAM

En complément du parcours, en tout temps
Buste de René Lévesque, par Paul Lancz
Hydro-Québec — Édifice Jean-Lesage, situé au coin de la rue Saint-Urbain et du boulevard René-Lévesque  

 

 

CRÉDITS

Commissaire du parcours : Daniel Fortin
Exposition : réalisée par Espace René-Lévesque
Court-métrage documentaire : Luc Cyr

Plus d’informations : fondation-levesque.org quartierdesspectacles.com  lecoeurdelile.com

LENA GHIO   

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Photo © Lena Ghio , 2022

EN ATTENDANT BOJANGLES

 

Bande Annonce

EN ATTENDANT BOJANGLES de Régis Roinsard met en vedette Virginie Efira et Romain Duris dans les rôles de Camille et Georges, un couple formé par une femme bipolaire et un homme fabulateur. 

Le scénario est basé sur le roman éponyme d’Olivier Bourdeaut, publié chez Gallimard, qui lui présente la perspective de l'enfant alors que le film veut présenter la perspective du père. Cette approche n'est pas évidente dans le film puisque Georges ne démontre que très peu d'empathie pour son fils. C'est plutôt la perspective de l'obsession d'un homme amoureux pour une femme très malade. Inévitablement les deux failles qui tarissent ces amoureux laisse surgir une réalité dévastatrice qu'aucune fable ne peut oblitérer.

Une excellente performance de Romain Duris dès le moment où la réalité de la maladie mentale de sa bien-aimée frappe sa conscience, le moment de non retour! Solàn Machado-Graner est remarkable dans le rôle de Gary, l'enfant des deux délinquants. Et une performance chavirante de la part de Virginie Efira.

Dans les cinémas de Montréal dès maintenant.

LENA GHIO   

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WORLD PRESS PHOTO 2022 Montreal until October 2, 2022

Kamloops Residential School by Amber Bracken for The New York Times is the First Prize winner!

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World Press Photo presents a more subdued than usual exhibition this year after restrictions due to  Covid quarantines. However the world carried on its forward march of ceaseless drama! 

 Amber Bracken Photo © Lena Ghio , 2022

Amber Bracken  is this year's first prize winner with her fortunate capture of the installation of red dresses at the precise moment the clouds separated, the sky opened and a rainbow appeared. Traditionally these celestial manifestation meant there was a connection with the spiritual world. It would be nice if the spiritual world did hold a place for those human beings the red dresses represent. The Red Dress Project began in 2011 as "an artistic social justice initiative" developed by Jamie Black. The case of the missing aboriginal women is so disturbing. Why the RCMP isn't turning heaven and earth to catch the serial killers roaming freely in Canada is quite puzzling! But I digress. 

In the case of the winning photo, the victims represented by the red dresses are the aboriginal children taken from their homes to be assimilated by Christians of European descent who wanted to take the "savage" out of them. Hundreds of children's bodies resurfaced near Christian boarding schools in the past few years that begs the question: What on Earth did they do to those children?

Amber specified that the crosses in this case symbolized that each child was like a star in the universe and had no reference to religion.

detail of As Frozen Land Burns
by Nana Heitmann

There are many photos depicting the relentless tragedy that is the climate crisis. The image on the right is particularly ominous as the fire appears to begin inside the tree. This fire happened in Sakha, a northern region of the Russian Federation. "By mid-August (2021), more than 17.08 million hectares had been ravaged by fire, according to Greenpeace Russia."

The exhibition as a whole is moving at the soul level. Nature is screaming her pain louder than ever. We must rally and turn this around. 

On the top floor there are more exhibitions. Among them is a retrospective of the First Prize Winners of the last 15 years. It is shocking to see how little we have evolved. 

There are lighter subjects being exposed also. This year creativity is allowed to alter some photojournalistic content but these photos are marked as being part of this category.

Two artists are proposing their photographic studies: Caroline Monnet, spokesperson for this 15th edition, presents Ikwewak (women) and Justine Latour presents her precious study of a very special woman, Claire, in her exposition Claire, 107 years old.

There are three more important topics being explored: 

RADIO-CANADA | LES DÉCRYPTEURS: THE UNDERBELLY OF DISINFORMATION

LA PRESSE | DES IMAGES QUI MARQUENT (IMAGES THAT LEAVE THEIR MARK)

SEEING BEYOND THE HORIZON. TOGETHER: THERAPEUTIC ADVENTURES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WITH CANCER
For schedule and more information: HERE

LENA GHIO   

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