La fin

The past year has been a remarkable period of changing expectations. The global situation has exacerbated the sense of division in the population. The ongoing threat from a pandemic era and a rapidly changing social and environmental climate have governed our actions and language.

It is in this context, and in this isolation, that Caroline Fillion and Natascha Niederstrass have dedicated themselves to the production of new bodies of work. La fin is an exhibition that is so named to convey the limitations that force them to reflect on what is essential in their work. At a time when technology and the global situation seem to be pushing us away from each other, art reminds us of the importance of connection and exchange with the other, because without this essential exchange and connection, there is no art. Art is exchange. It requires real interaction. An organic intimacy. When this proximity becomes difficult, art becomes even more essential.

The exhibition La fin also inevitably marks a beginning and a renewal, where everything can be re-imagined in the aftermath of a fantasized apocalypse that reflects on our collective durability and future. By creating a series of works that speak and respond to one other, Fillion and Niederstrass propose a reflection on the place of these images and objects in time and space. Their interventions invite viewers to consider these fragments that exist in a place between future, past and in an alternative reality in present time.

This exhibition is presented as part of the Création Duo Diffusion project set forth by Centre SAGAMIE in partnership with Occurence – espace d’art et d’essai contemporains. This project is intended to support art production and circulation while promoting collaboration between art centres. The artist duo has previously completed a research/creation residency at Centre SAGAMIE in order to prepare this exhibition, which will be presented successively at Occurrence and at Centre SAGAMIE. In addition, Centre SAGAMIE will produce a publication in which an author will be invited to work with the artists. This project is made possible thanks to the contribution of each partner artist centre and with the financial support of the Programme de partenariat territorial du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, which is part of the partnership agreement between CALQ and the MRCs of the region.

Photo credit : alignements

PODCAST | Point bleu – Épisode 6 – Caroline Fillion et Natascha Niederstrass : A cultural podcast that explores the creative process of the artists behind the current exhibitions at Occurrence – espace d’art et d’essai contemporains.