As part of its 15th anniversary programming, under the theme “Looking back to move forward,” Le Labo is launching the second event in its celebration calendar: A Situationist Toronto.
An outdoor performance route to discover on Thursday, September 9, from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM, thanks to the Toronto-based Driftscape app, which will guide the public from site to site where we have programmed happenings by Francophone media artists.
Event location: – Sorauren Park – Sorauren Park Town Square, Wabash Avenue, Toronto, ON, Canada – 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM Registration
PERFORMANCE 1: “The Locomotive Arrives in Town” with Jean-Christophe Foolchand.
This performance is inspired by inventors of the past who unveiled their inventions before crowds. Long ago, at a time when social media did not exist, people took interest in and marveled at inventors’ works. Through his performance, Jean-Christophe will take us on a journey through time to relive those magical moments. He will reveal an invention he built with his own hands and invite the audience to take part in his demonstration. An invention with an old-fashioned look, yet in fact a vehicle of the future.
PERFORMANCE 2: “French Kiss, Adieu” with Maria Legault.
The French Kiss performance series draws on the fairy tale The Princess and the Frog to represent the psychological impact of the artist’s move from Quebec to Ontario. The princess is used as a symbol representing the reference group, and the frog as a symbol of Francophonie. The interactions between these two characters represent various facets of the artist’s experience.
Previous tableaux explored the frog’s assimilation in a miniature aquarium, the princess’s transformation into a frog, and the characters’ deterioration with whipped cream. With this final tableau, the artist performs a ritual to mark the end of the French Kiss project. The project’s costumes and props will be buried in a park as a farewell gesture.
This performance is conceived as a metaphorical way of signaling that the artist’s identity is deeper and more fluid than the restrictive stereotypes imposed by the princess and frog characters. This performance stems from a reflection on the past: the French Kiss project on which the artist focused during her doctoral studies. Through this performance, the artist frees herself from this project and creates fertile ground for exploring new ideas in the future. Beyond its significance for the artist’s journey, this final French Kiss performance pays tribute to things that come to an end. It looks at grief, transmutation, and the rituals we turn to in order to mark our losses.
PERFORMANCE 3: “Nostalgia for Movement” with Julie Lassonde.
The artist’s approach is to reclaim public space restricted during the pandemic through the pleasure of movement.
Please note
Weather update. To stay regularly informed as to whether or not our “Situationist Toronto” will take place, please feel free to return to this page often. In the event of inclement weather, the event cancellation will be announced here 1 hour in advance.
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Jean-Christophe
Foolchand
Jean-Christophe is a French artist-inventor and videographer based in Toronto. With a diverse cultural background and an unconventional academic path, he has built a world all his own over the years. In fact, it is through visual and media arts that he has been able to shape his identity. Through video, he tells the story of his artistic inventions, his adventures, and his discoveries. His art features recurring themes such as the world of toys, the world of machines, and that of transportation. From a young age, by observing and analyzing the things around him, he learns and tries to understand how they work. It is this innate attitude that enables him to understand how things fit together and connect.
Maria
Legault
Maria
Legault
Maria Legault is a performance artist who has hidden in paper bags, married a doll, and repaired holes with pink icing. She holds a BFA from Concordia University, an MFA from the University of Guelph, and a PhD in Art Studies and Practices from Université du Québec à Montréal. Her work has been widely exhibited in Canada, including at Forest City Gallery, Inter-Access, Mercer Union, Nuit Blanche, Print Studio, Rodman Hall, Galerie Sans Nom, Galerie du Nouvel Ontario, SAW Gallery, Western Front, and 7a11d, as well as at the Castle of Imagination performance festival in Poland, the Balkans Biennale in Serbia, Reinraum in Germany, the Pow-Pow Performance Festival in the United States, and the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Strasbourg in France. She received the Best Emerging Artist award at the Untitled Art Awards in Toronto in 2005, the People’s Choice Prize for Nuit Blanche in 2009, as well as grants from the Toronto, Ontario, and Canada arts councils. She has worked in various artist-run centres and was a cultural columnist for TFO’s Panorama program.
