What would happen if all gallerists in the Belgo building went on permanent vacation, abandoning their exhibition spaces to the forces of nature? Montreal artist Philippe Chevrette has created just this scenario with his installation piece Invasion at the Visual Voice Art Gallery. The gallery’s floors buckle and give way to a sapling, which forces itself through the ground, reaches through the air and bores its way through a gallery wall, sending a picture frame crashing to the ground. The gallery’s spot lights have been transformed into long stalactites, enrobed in dripping beeswax, turning the prosaic sources of light into illuminated art objects.
Complementing this surreal installation are a series of black and white photographs which investigate our visceral fascination and disgust with human hair, especially the hair of others. The underlying current of both artistic proposals is the eternal combat between nature and humans, between control and chaos – at Visual Voice it looks as though nature has won out. For now.

Visual Voice Art Gallery
space 421
Philippe Chevrette
Invasion
April 22 – May 1, 2010
www.visualvoicegallery.com