The town of Shediac will vibrate to the rhythm of the Éloizes until May 11. Music, poetry and the opening of an exhibition prepared by art curator Alisa Arsenault, highlighting the works of six finalists and tribute artist Marie Hélène Allain, kicked off the festivities.
The public responded to the invitation of the Acadian Association of Professional Artists of New Brunswick (AAAPNB) for this opening evening which took place Wednesday at the Shediac Multifunctional Center in front of more than a hundred people. To the music of Isabelle Cormier, the public was able to discover the Éloizes exhibition. Works by Jessica Arseneau, the Valérie LeBlanc-Daniel H. Dugas tandem, Guillaume Desrosiers Lépine, cartoonist Camille Perron-Cormier, Catherine Arseneault and Marie Hélène Allain are on display at the Shediac Multifunctional Center until May 31.
Entitled Such a Short Eternity, the exhibition offers a beautiful overview of the practices of each of the artists and their nominated works: sculpture, immersive installation, photography and video. The exhibition occupies the corridor of the Multifunctional Center, as well as a room. The commissioner admits that the corridor space presented a challenge. She worked in collaboration with the artists to set up the project and choose pieces that they wanted to put forward. The title is taken from the novel For Sure by France Daigle. Alisa Arsenault believes that this work by the Acadian author reflects the spirit of the collection, weaving links between the lives of characters who may seem disparate. Just like this novel, the curator likes to create links so that the exhibition is coherent.
“Basically, it shows us that as human beings, we have meeting points and things in common. I found that by observing and learning more about the practices of these artists anchored in contemporary art, they are concerned with current events and there are questions about the environment.
She cites as an example the video by Jessica Arseneau, filmed in Germany, which addresses collective insomnia in an era where production takes place over 24 hours. The immersive installation of large drawings by Guillaume Desrosiers Lépine which explores the multitude testifies to the excess of images that surround us. In Catherine Arseneault’s photographic work, there is also this idea of accumulation, notes the curator. “Actually, Catherine really works on mental health in her work, but it’s like a weakened mental health that really stems from all these things, all these problems that exist in humanity.”
Cartoonist Camille Perron-Cormier (Witches) presents an overview of her work which, according to the curator, combines self-knowledge and concern for the environment. The young cartoonist said she was very honored to be part of the exhibition.
Daniel H. Dugas and Valérie LeBlanc, who deal with the natural environment and the human figure in the landscape, designed a photographic work for the gallery space, based on their Fundy project. Instead of exploring intergalactic space, the duo instead offers “a eulogy of our planetary home.”
The exhibition ends with the works of Marie Hélène Allain which occupy a separate room. There we find, among other things, extracts from her Secrets de Varnes project, the Élan sculpture (borrowed from the Congrégation Notre-Dame du Sacré-Coeur), as well as archive pieces, photographs and the documentary on the sculptor of Rodolphe Caron.
“Marie Hélène draws from nature in the creation of her sculptures, but in fact it is really the meeting between the natural world and her inner world. As she received the tribute prize, I really wanted to do something more elaborate,” mentioned Alisa Arsenault who had a real crush on the artist.
“He is someone that I love very much and to be able to immerse myself in his life more and to spend time at the mother house with all these people who have been so warm, who have opened the doors of the archives so that I could take what I wanted,” continued the commissioner who would like to continue this research.
Plurality of voices
The director of the AAAPNB and producer of Éloizes, Carmen Gibbs, is delighted that the event can contribute to making the lobster capital a city that is as cultural as it is touristy. There are 125 artists from all corners of Acadia in a plurality of voices who will perform between now and May 11. The producer recalled that the Éloizes is the only event in Canada that brings together all artistic disciplines under the same tent. Under the artistic direction of Isabelle Cyr, the Éloizes take place in several locations across the city.
“Every day, there was care to ensure that citizens found what they were looking for, that children found what they wanted there and then we even went to the homes of the elderly to be sure that people who cannot come, here we go. So I’m really amazed and what’s more, we are well received in beautiful facilities,” expressed Carmen Gibbs, visibly moved.
According to this, the public is there. Already certain events such as the literary feast are sold out. For the Soirée des Éloizes on Saturday, which will be broadcast live on Radio-Canada from the Festival Arena, there are only 150 seats left out of the 826 seats available.
