Québec Triennial 2011; The Work Ahead of Us is currently underway at the Musée d’art contemporain in Montréal. While the show features contemporary work by a variety of Quebec-based artists, the Triennial is North American in scope as many of the artists were born outside of the province. We had the privilege of attending the opening last Thursday and were impressed with the overall ambitiousness of the work. The following were some standouts- Chris Kline continues to unleash beautifully minimal paintings with his signature blue translucent sheen. Jessica Eaton’s photographs continually push the envelope with regards to photographic techniques. Séripop’s installation is a highly colorized visual onslaught; it covers three walls, the floor and features a freestanding paper-based structure that towers within the museum. Mathieu Beauséjour’s Icarus (the Triennial’s top line image above) is mammoth in size and direct in its graphic appeal. Nuna Amun’s work is brilliantly inset in a wall and thinly grouted over; get up close and check it out. Lastly, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s Vectorial Elevation (which is outside the museum and visible at night) is an outstanding, interactive work that illuminates the sky with searchlights- it’s arguably the city’s best public installation in recent years. The Québec Triennial runs until January 3rd 2012.
