First "Leading with Women" Photographic Installation mounted on the entire south façade of the National Gallery of Canada Français
Barcelone, a monumental and timely work by internationally renowned Canadian photographer Geneviève Cadieux on display for the next year
OTTAWA, ON, June 2, 2021 /CNW/ - The entire south façade of the National Gallery of Canada's (NGC) building is now adorned with the largest photographic work ever installed by the National Gallery of Canada entitled Barcelone, by internationally renowned Quebec-based artist Geneviève Cadieux. The installation is the first in a series of three major photographic works titled "Leading with Women", which is being presented with the support of the Scotiabank Photography Program at the National Gallery of Canada. Barcelone will be on display until spring 2022, when a second major work will be installed by interdisciplinary artist Deanna Bowen also based in Montreal.
At the invitation of the NGC to create a large-scale work for its building, Geneviève Cadieux revisited a work she originally created in 2003 and adapted it for this project.
"We are thrilled that Genevieve Cadieux is the first artist to be presented in the 'Leading with Women' series," said Sasha Suda, Director and CEO of the National Gallery of Canada. "We wanted to promote large-scale works by some of the greatest women artists from across the country, and Cadieux's extraordinary work in Quebec and internationally now anchors the entire south side of our beautiful building for the first time. I believe art needs to be in people's lives always, and this work achieves that."
''Since the building is closed due to the pandemic, and we are unable to invite the public inside the building, we decided to cover the entire south façade with a massive photographic work by Geneviève Cadieux. It means the public can enjoy art all the time, no matter what the conditions are," said Kitty Scott, Deputy Director and Chief Curator of the National Gallery of Canada.
The work, which consists of nine juxtaposed images, each measuring 4.17 metres high by 5.08 metres wide, forms a narrative between two protagonists, actress Anne-Marie Cadieux and her then partner.
The title Barcelone is a play on words combining the terms 'seul' in French and 'alone' in English. The large-scale series of photographs depicts two characters observing each other while keeping their distance. The images of the sun are combined with the film sequence. The sun's movement across the sky marks the passage of time.
'Through the lens of her camera, the artist observes the human being and the landscape. She finds inspiration in film and theatre, but also in advertising strategies and the way they influence individuals. The work shows the interaction between two lovers, showing a psychological tension expressed in particular by the woman's body language. Barcelone evokes detachment and distance as well as a longing for moments of connection and embrace. The work also expresses how many of us are feeling, especially in this pandemic, bringing focus on this difficult moment when we are navigating isolation and loss,' added Drouin-Brisebois, Senior Curator of Contemporary Art at the National Gallery of Canada.
Barcelone is the Gallery's first major collaboration with Geneviève Cadieux in over 15 years. Cadieux, winner of the prestigious Prix Paul-Émile Borduas 2018, and, in 2011, of one of the Governor General's Awards in Visual and Media Arts, spent her teenage and young adulthood in Ottawa, where she studied painting at the University of Ottawa before turning to photography. At the same time, she discovered an affinity for cinema, as her father owned the ByTowne Repertory Cinema.
About the National Gallery of Canada
Founded in 1880, the National Gallery of Canada is home to the world's largest collection of contemporary Indigenous art, and the most important collection of Canadian, and European art in the country. With a mandate to share the visual arts with Canadians, the National Gallery works with artists and arts organizations across the country and around the world through digital media, and through onsite exhibitions to share our collective story through art.
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SOURCE National Gallery of Canada
For media only: Josée-Britanie Mallet, Senior Media and Public Relations Officer, National Gallery of Canada, [email protected]; Denise Siele, Senior Manager, Communications, National Gallery of Canada, [email protected]
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