Description
… and room in the bag of stars is a group exhibition that presents works produced in the context of the inaugural PHI MONTRÉAL residency, launched by PHI and carried out in the summer of 2021. The five laureates of this edition of the residency, kimura byol-nathalie lemoine, Salima Punjani, Dominique Sirois, Santiago Tamayo Soler and Karen Trask, proposed projects in response to a theme inspired by the work of science-fiction author Ursula K. Le Guin. It was an invitation, after a moment of prolonged social isolation, to imagine spaces, temporalities, conditions, or systems where we can all get together, again. (source: press release Centre Phi) For the exhibition Karen Trask presented Hanging by a Thread / Ne tenir qu’à un fil, which was a work in two parts: a sculpture of a life-size figure constructed of paper threads crystallized
... moreStatement
… and room in the bag of stars engages with themes of space, temporalities, conditions, or systems where we can all get together, while encompassing a wide range of formal and conceptual approaches, offering insight into the ways in which artists are grappling with the urgency of this question, and how it can resonate both on individual and collective levels. The exhibition’s title stems from The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction, a short essay written by Le Guin in 1986. Throughout the text, the author develops an alternative theory of the power of fiction: rather than opportunities to glorify virile and violent heroism, Le Guin sees stories as chances to reinvent our collective futures and make space for our everyday gestures and feelings.
Le Guin’s thinking was profoundly inspired by the research of anthropologist Elizabeth Fisher, who posited that the most essential tool for the survival of prehistoric humanity was not the weapon, as previously believed, but the bag used to carry seeds and fruits. Following this, Le Guin reimagines bags as works of art: supple, soft and adaptable recipients, ripe for infinite future harvests.
Source: press release Centre Phi
—
… et de la place dans le sac aux étoiles aborde ces thèmes tout en englobant un large éventail d’approches formelles et conceptuelles, offrant un aperçu de la manière dont les artistes s’attaquent à l’urgence de cette question et à la façon dont elle peut résonner à la fois au niveau individuel et collectif. Le titre de l’exposition est tiré de The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction, un court essai écrit par Le Guin en 1986. À travers ce texte, l’autrice développe une théorie alternative du pouvoir de la fiction: plutôt que des occasions de glorifier un héroïsme viril et violent, Le Guin considère les histoires comme des occasions d’inventer nos futurs collectifs et de faire de la place à nos gestes et sentiments quotidiens.
La réflexion de Le Guin a été profondément inspirée par les recherches de l’anthropologue Elizabeth Fisher, qui affirme que l’outil le plus essentiel à la survie de l’humanité préhistorique n’était pas l’arme, comme on le croyait auparavant, mais le sac utilisé pour transporter des graines et des fruits. Dans cette optique, Le Guin réimagine les sacs comme des œuvres d’art: des récipients souples, doux et adaptables, propices pour des récoltes futures infinies.
Source: communiqué de presse du Centre Phi
