The metaphor of turning in circles is the focus of Fabuleux cercles vicieux, currently on show at Galerie SAS. Curated by artist Patrick Bérubé, this exhibition unites the talents of Gwenaël Bélanger, Michel de Broin, Mathieu Latulippe, and Frédéric Lavoie, as well as the curator himself.
The theme of the vicious circle is explored through a range of media including video, sculpture, photography, and drawing. However, the curator’s strong vision creates a coherent show, all artworks work together to create a harmonious chorus of unique voices.
Central to the idea of the vicious circle is a distortion in the cycle of cause and effect, creating mind-bending, absurd situations. The exhibition abounds in visual paradoxes, such as the sculptural work Circulation by Michel de Broin: an electrical cable with two ‘male’ plugs, both inserted into a wall socket, creating a completely useless loop.
Some pieces are more meditative. I especially appreciated the hypnotic spell cast by Mathieu Latulippe’s video Vortex. To the swelling hum of Tibetan chant, a hand draws a spiral with a simple black marker. Once the spiral fills the screen the film loop is run in reverse, the hand now erasing the drawing, much like Tibetan monks destroy their sand mandalas upon completion. The cycle of creation and destruction speaks to the Buddhist concept of impermanence, as much as to the Quixotic quest of creation.
Fans of Gwenaël Bélanger’s work will be delighted to see videos as well as video stills from his series La tournis. Star-shaped mirrors crash to the ground, shattering in slow-motion, reflecting glimpses of their environment as they fall. The heart-stopping moment of impact is played over and over again, revealing the beauty of this continuous state of disaster.
Says Patrick Bérubé: “…despite all our precautions, some things are inevitable and [that] we remain vulnerable and victim of our fears, our desires, and the futility of things. … But beyond the anecdotes, these stories are first and foremost instruments of reflection.”
Galerie SAS, space 416
Gwenaël Bélanger, Michel de Broin, Mathieu Latulippe,
Frédéric Lavoie, Patrick Bérubé
curator: Patrick Bérubé
Fabuleux cercles vicieux
April 26 – June 2, 2012
www.galeriesas.com
