SERIES OF EXHIBITS IN BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND

Recently, Jonathan Watkins, curator of Manif d’art 9 – The Quebec City Biennial and director of Ikon Gallery in Birmingham, England, helped Manif d’art send the works of several remarkable Canadian artists overseas. As a result, English audiences were able to discover excellent pieces by Anne-Marie Proulx, Caroline Gagné, Nadia Myre at Stryx, by Jim Holyoak et Matt Shane at the Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) and Meryl McMaster at IKON Gallery.

This project was made possible thanks to the cultural development agreement between the government of Quebec and Quebec City, as well as the support of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, the Quebec government office in London, England, and the Canada Council for the Arts.

Large-scale drawings at the MAC

In September 2019, Canadian art duo Jim Holyoak and Matt Shane travelled to Birmingham to attend the opening of their exhibit at the MAC. But they also did more than that, taking up artistic residence for six weeks at that same gallery, where they created a new, oversize drawing. In addition to this site-specific creation, Holyoak and Shane presented sections from three of their large-scale installations, including the work shown at Manif d’art 9 at the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec and a selection of small-scale works.

© Jim Shane Holyoak et Matt Shane, The Who’s Haunts, 2018, photo : Idra Labrie.

A trio of women at Stryx

Three gifted artists from Quebec City – Caroline Gagné, Nadia Myre and Anne-Marie Proulx, showed the works they had presented at Manif d’art 9 – The Quebec City Biennial.

Anne-Marie Proulx’s imposing photography was displayed next to the projection of Nadia Myre’s vital three-channel video piece, while a poetic, multisensorial work by Caroline Gagné welcomed the public to the space. This collaborative work, entitled Shore, was presented from November to December 2019.

First solo exhibit in the United Kingdom for Meryl McMaster

From December 4, 2019, to February 23, 2020, Ikon Gallery presented Meryl McMaster's first solo exhibit in the United Kingdom. McMaster is part of a generation of emerging Indigenous artists in Canada. She creates photography with extraordinary visual impact that explores identity and its distinct cultural landscapes.

© On the Edge of This Immensity, Meryl McMaster, 2019.

Caroline Gagné

Le bruit des icebergs, 2016, photo : Caroline Gagné et Marion Gotti

Caroline Gagné

Le bruit des icebergs, 2016, photo : Caroline Gagné et Marion Gotti

Stryx Gallery

Opening of the Shor exhibition, photo : Marcin Sz

Stryx Gallery

Opening of the Shor exhibition, photo : Marcin Sz

Stryx Gallery

Opening of the Shor exhibition, photo : Marcin Sz

Stryx Gallery

Opening of the Shor exhibition, photo : Marcin Sz

Stryx Gallery

Opening of the Shor exhibition, photo : Marcin Sz

Matt Shane et Jim Holyoke

The Who’s Haunt, 2019

Meryl McMaster

On the Edge of this Immensity, 2019