2017 Awards for excellence in visual arts - Celia Perrin Sidarous receives the Prix Pierre-Ayot and Sophie Jodoin, the Prix Louis-Comtois

MONTRÉAL, Dec. 7, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Montréal and the Contemporary Art Galleries Association (AGAC) have awarded the Prix Pierre-Ayot to the artist Celia Perrin Sidarous and the Prix Louis-Comtois to the artist Sophie Jodoin. The award ceremony took place Thursday night, at the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, in the presence of Ms. Christine Gosselin, member of the city's executive committee, in charge of culture, heritage and design, and of Mr. Nikolaos Karathanasis, managing director of the AGAC. Members of the jury and representatives of the field of visual arts were also present.    

The winners were selected by a jury made up of Caroline Andrieux, founder and general artistic director of the Fonderie Darling, of Marie-Ève Beaupré, curator of the collection of the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, of Marie-Ève Charron, art critic for Le Devoir and independent curator, of Clément de Gaulejac, artist and author, as well as of Anne Philippon, assistant curator of La Galerie, UQAM. Aside from the winner, the finalists for the Prix Pierre-Ayot were Simon Belleau and Andréanne Godin. For the Prix Louis-Comtois, the other two finalists were Dominique Pétrin and Karen Tam.

"The award of the Prix Pierre-Ayot and the Prix Louis-Comtois is a great opportunity to renew the city's commitment and support towards its creators. These awards highlight and promote the vitality and daring nature of Montréal's contemporary art and they have a real impact on the appeal of artistic careers. Congratulations to the winners and to the finalists! I wish them a very successful pursuit of their artistic goals.", stated Ms. Christine Gosselin.

"The Association is proud to join the Ville de Montréal in recognizing and highlighting the exceptional talent of our artists. We would like to sincerely congratulate Ms. Perrin Sidarous and Ms. Jodoin, and we wish them continued success!", stated Mr. Nikolaos Karathanasis.

Celia Perrin Sidarous, winner of the Prix Pierre-Ayot
The Prix Pierre-Ayot, along with its $5,000 grant, aims to promote excellence among Montréal's new visual arts creators, to encourage the dissemination of creations by young artists and to recognize the efforts of presenters in supporting up-and-coming artists. It was awarded to Celia Perrin Sidarous, whose photography and installations are in direct relation to still life, characterized by the meeting of pictures and found objects, brought together in collage form. The members of the jury recognized the great finesse in her approach, as much in terms of the carefully studied composition, as in terms of the presentation devices used. It is with scarce means that the artist masterfully exposes the construction of history and its material and visual representation. 

Sophie Jodoin, winner of the Prix Louis-Comtois
The Prix Louis-Comtois highlights the quality of a contemporary arts production by an artist having more than 15 years of professional experience. It includes a $7,500 grant. This prize was awarded to Sophie Jodoin for her consistent integration of drawn and written elements in her installations, thus questioning the invisible powers applied to bodies, in the social and intimate life of the feminine universe. In its great simplicity, her work becomes striking, in the jury's opinion.  

The city will purchase a work of art by each winner for the municipal collection. Ms. Jodoin and Ms. Perrin Sidarous will also receive a $2,500 envelope to cover the costs of organizing an exhibition on city territory. The two awards are offered jointly by the AGAC and the Ville de Montréal.

To find out more about the finalists of the Prix Pierre-Ayot, click here, and the Prix Louis-Comtois, click here (content available in French only).

SOURCE Ville de Montréal - Cabinet de la mairesse et du comité exécutif

Source : Youssef Amane, Attaché de presse, Cabinet de la mairesse et du comité exécutif, 438 832-1221; Renseignements : Linda Boutin, Division des relations médias, Service des communications, 514 872-6013