The exhibition Today, yesterday and forever, Recounting the multiple facets of Diane Dufresne’s life, allows us to rediscover an eccentric and daring artist, but also to highlight the contribution of the creators who brought her vision to life.
“People always thought I was crazy; the madness was more in the creativity,” said the Montreal diva during the media presentation of the immersive exhibition presented in the vast Arsenal contemporary art centre in Griffintown.
Ben Pelosse / JdeM
Of course, Diane Dufresne the singer is put at the forefront of this collection of visual, sound and material artifacts concocted by her husband, Richard Langevin. But we also discover Dufresne the designer, painter and muse in this judiciously designed 15,000 square foot space.
“I’ve been thinking about this project for about ten years,” says the man who has shared the singer’s life for almost 30 years. “It’s a duty of remembrance to relive all these great moments and to make other generations aware of all of Ms. Dufresne’s work.”
Explosive and historical outfits
Ben Pelosse / JdeM
Upon entering the exhibition, huge 360 projections present excerpts from shows that marked the career of the artist, who will celebrate her 80th birthday on September 30. And then, from room to room, we discover 30 emblematic outfits worn by Diane Dufresne during her career, her trademark, embodied by designers such as Michel Robidas and Mario Davignon.
Often inviting her audience to accompany her in her creative delirium, she campaigned artistically for the liberation of women and marginalized people.
Ben Pelosse / JdeM
“I wanted to eliminate certain taboos that I found unfair towards certain people,” she recalls. “I could exorcise certain things on stage. I was very criticized, but when I see that today, I have no regrets.”
Exhaustive archives
Ben Pelosse / JdeM
The exhibition is also filled with numerous “cabinets of curiosities” where precious souvenirs are displayed, preserved by archivist André Ruel. Her handwritten notes, particularly captivating, allow us to appreciate her talents as a director.
In another room, a timeline of Diane Dufresne’s life and newspaper clippings highlight her impressive longevity and the reach of her art in the French-speaking world. It should be remembered that while she was once “compared to the devil” in Quebec by a more conservative public, she also provoked strong reactions in France and elsewhere in the world.
Ben Pelosse / JdeM
His painted works, a series of 100 clay sculptures and a Bentley car given to him by Yvon Deschamps also furnish the rooms of the Arsenal.
Ben Pelosse / JdeM
With a distant look, Diane Dufresne did not seem moved by this impressive retrospective of her life and art. Anything but nostalgic, the diva defends that her legacy only exists through her audience.
“If you go to see a Picasso painting and it’s in the dark, nobody sees it. People have the talent to see it. We do this for the public. We don’t do this for me.”
- The exhibition Today, yesterday and forever is presented from September 18 to October 13 at the Arsenal art contemporain, in Montreal. More information:
