“THE IMAGE IN MOTION”: 7th edition of Rencontres de la photo

“THE IMAGE IN MOTION”: 7th edition of Rencontres de la photo

The 7th edition of Rencontres internationales de la photographie en Gaspésie will run from mid-July to early October 2016, on the theme “The image in motion.” Exhibitions and installations showing the work of about 30 artists from Québec and different countries will be presented both outdoors and indoors at some 20 sites in 17 municipalities or national parks in the Gaspé.

Whether it involves inquiring into reality, transforming it or sublimating it, the image lies at the heart of our era, like a metaphor of events lending rhythm to our everyday lives. Our wish, for this 7th edition of Rencontres, is to make room for photographic practice and the image in motion within a constantly changing environment,” explains Claude Goulet, executive and artistic director of Rencontres. “Our aim is to present contemporary topics linked to our rapidly changing society, historical projects linked to photographic archives, as well as polemical or meditative projects, the idea being to reexamine ourselves and to consider together this introspective and collective power that the image brings to daily life.”

Among the guest artists may be noted Hanne van der Woude (Netherlands) with Emmy’s World. Documenting the life of an octogenarian couple, Emmy and Ben, as well as that of Ben’s brother, this video and photo installation focuses on intergenerational friendship, creativity, the art of living, and independence. Rencontres is also presenting the results of the creative residencies of a number of French artists in the Gaspé. Laurent Mulot, to whom we owe the long-term project Horizon incertain – Middle of Nowhere, will be presenting his work about the St. Lawrence River, while Jacques Damez will unveil his images of identical sites – from Montreal to the town of Gaspé – in summer and in winter, and his recordings of accents specific to each region.

Serge Clément will be showing three short films: Parfum de lumière (2002), L’envol du ciel (2013), and D’Aurore (2009), winner of an award from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec for best work in art and experimentation at the 2012 Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois. Isabelle Hayeur, meanwhile, will present République, a body of images on the repercussions of the November 13, 2015 attacks in Paris. This is work from her residency project in Beauvais and in Paris, made possible thanks to a collaboration between Rencontres and the organization Diaphane, Pôle photographique en Picardie. Catherine Tremblay for her part will present a video installation on a semi-transparent photographic support taking the form of a large cube, on which pictures of the sea during the day mix with a scene of people ambling after the sun has set, their chaotic motion, in contrast with the calm stretch of sea, echoing the poetry of existence. Michel Lamothe will be offering his series Photogrammes, which proposes an encounter between cinema and photography and is built around the deconstruction of motion. With images from sequences filmed in the Maritimes and in Québec, the artist takes an intimate look at the passage of time. Stephen Lawson, Shauna Janssen and Aaron Pollard are doing a creative residency in the Gaspé this summer. Their sound and video installation gaspésieARCADE, which will do service as a “boutique” and present a special collection of shoeboxes containing miniature scenes filmed by both the artists and the public, will be presented beginning August 18.

In other developments, Rencontres is extending its activities to a new municipality, Caplan, and to the fourth park on the peninsula, Gaspésie National Park, which becomes a partner in the event alongside the national parks of Forillon, Miguasha, and Bonaventure Island and Percé Rock.


Photographer Tour

The Photographer Tour, from August 18 to 21, 2016, will offer a series of public get-togethers on the subject of creation in the presence of the artists of the 7th edition. Free outdoor projections will be held every day, in addition to different activities (roundtable, lectures…) intended for those better acquainted with photography. The official opening will take place on August 19 at Quai des arts in Carleton-sur-Mer, where the exhibit The Photographic Book will be held once again this year starting in mid-August, curated by Serge Allaire. The Tour will travel to some other towns in the Gaspé as well.

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