On display at Galerie Les Territoires this month is the installation work of Simon Grenier-Poirier.

Born in Montreal, Mr. Grenier-Poirier is a multi-talented artist who includes music and photography as part of his repertoire. Having recently graduated from Concordia University with a BFA in Fine Arts, September 2012 marks a turning point for the artist as he will be presenting his first solo show La mer trobla at Galerie Les Territoires.

In this show, Grenier-Poirier explores his fascination with the idea of the natural process of erosion. Unlike its representation in an open setting, the artist has chosen to control this process through strictly defines parameters. In the piece entitled Li ciel Nerchi, La mer trobla, the entrance of Les Territoires is transformed into a contemplative space where the viewer walks into a darkened room and is confronted by a diptych suspended from the ceiling in the middle of the room. On one side is a video loop projection of wind swirling incessantly in a controlled environment. The reverse side is a video loop of the movement of water that rises and falls in its container like the tides upon a beach. The erosion process of both elements are impede and unlike their true counterparts in nature, their actions do not lead to dissipation but are stories to be retold over and over again without impact on their surroundings.

In the adjoining room we are presented with two works, on one wall we see Le tems d’eaage est une peinture which is a collection of 25 ABS painted sheets cut into squares and equally spaced upon the wall juxtaposed to 25 square shaped piles of painted plastic marbles. Opposite of this is the piece Le tems d’eaage est une fenestre which is made up of 25 squares of ink-jet prints featuring Grenier-Poirier’s photography of scenes of water washing up on a frozen landscape. Juxtaposed to this piece are 25 shallow boxes containing rocks, water and pine branches which bring to life the images in the photos.

One is surrounded and pulled into the scenery with a literal window on this world that the artist has created. I could almost hear the water pulling away at the beach and feel the wind carrying the remnants of dust and rock away. The force of erosion has been captured in time and released on another distant shore.

Les Territoires, space 527
Simon Grenier-Poirier
La Mer Trobla

September 7th to September 29th, 2012
www.lesterritoires.org