Artists : Tania Love, Paul Ruban, Andreas Krätschmer
Dates : May 29 to June 26 (Wed-Fri 11am-6pm and Sat 11am-2pm)
Talk and opening on June 13 at 6pm
Le Labo, 401 Richmond, studio 277
Tania Love, ne m’oublie pas quand le vide me remplacera, 2022
This year, for its theme « fallow », the Labo presents the cross-disciplinary installation mémoire, bringing together three Ontario artists, each with his or her own approach: Andreas Krätschmer (woodturner and sculptor), Tania Love (visual artist) and Paul Ruban (writer and poet).
The idea of fallow evokes renewal, the cycle of life and death, and the restoration of farmland. But what if we transposed it to an urban context, and shone a light on places where – sometimes against all odds – life takes root? That of a maple tree, for instance, planted to decorate a yard, far away from its natural habitat…
This is what Andreas, Tania and Paul propose to do in their exhibition mémoire, inspired by a dying Norway maple that was cut down in Andreas’s yard in Picton. Through three different lenses, the artists imagine the life of this tree in relation to the odd place where it was rooted.
They found inspiration in the passage of time and seasons, the tree’s inner life, its sensorial perception – as well as its violent death.
Exposition on view from May 29 to June 26 (Wed-Fri 11am-6pm and Sat 11am-2pm)
Opening and talk Thursday June 13 at 6pm
Andreas Krätschmer is a Picton-based woodturner and sculptor. He explores themes of fragility, resilience, and humans’ relation to nature. His work has been exhibited in design festivals, art shows and galleries across Ontario and Québec. He has received grants from both the Canada Arts Council and the Ontario Arts Council.
Tania Love is a visual artist who lives and works in Toronto. Her creations evolve from a relationship with place and connection with nature. She centres her approach on process, slowness and tactility, while using a range of natural materials. She is the recipient of numerous grants and residencies, and has exhibited both within Canada and internationally.
Paul Ruban is a French-language author, screenwriter and literary translator. Currently shortlisted for this year’s Trillium Book Award, his first novel, Le parfum de la baleine (Flammarion Québec) was named one of the “eight must-reads” of 2023 by La Presse. He received the 2020 Trillium Book Award for his debut collection of short stories, Crevaison en corbillard, and was a finalist for the 2022 John Glassco Prize for his translation of Coconut Dreams by Derek Mascarenhas (Book*Hug Press). English translations of his work have appeared in The Malahat Review and The New Quarterly. He splits his time between Canada and Germany.
