In 2020–2021, I coordinated the podcast series Chercher l’ouverture, a collaborative and transdisciplinary research laboratory organized by Galerie UQO. This discursive exploration addresses current issues within the artistic field from aesthetic, ethical, economic, and political perspectives. Rather than producing its customary five exhibitions, Galerie UQO structured its programming around five research axes in order to activate a research laboratory and collectively foster a process of research and creation.
The Chercher l’ouverture podcast series was produced by Marie-Hélène Frenette Assad.
Featured image of the article: Chercher l’ouverture
Project reference:
Chercher l’ouverture, podcast series organized by Galerie UQO, 2020-2021
Episode Summaries
Dynamique interne avec Jo-Anne Balcaen (épisode 1)
With incisive humor, Jo-Anne Balcaen’s work Dynamique interne immerses listeners in the psychic experience of artists and cultural workers. Through a guided meditation exercise, a reassuring voice attempts to navigate existential questions related to professional demands and personal aspirations.
Axe communauté (épisode 2)
This episode is part of the “community” research axis of the collaborative and transdisciplinary laboratory Chercher l’ouverture.
daphne beads : perler parler is a multilingual virtual gathering inspired by the tradition of beadwork circles around a kitchen table. Organized by daphne, these evenings invite participants to meet, discuss art, and create beadwork collectively. In this special edition, the group reflects on daphne and the role of beadwork gatherings in participants’ lives. The conversation is multilingual, with English as the predominant language.
Axe éducation (épisode 3)
This episode is linked to the “education” research axis within Galerie UQO’s collaborative transdisciplinary laboratory. For the occasion, School of the End of Time proposes a new artistic experiment in podcast form.
Axe exposition (épisode 4)
This episode is associated with the “exhibition” research axis of the laboratory. Artist Michaëlle Sergile and artist-curator Moridja Kitenge Banza were invited to engage in a recorded conversation regarding the pilot exhibition and outreach project, Mission Biennale de Dakar.
L’exposition idéale d’Emilie Chhangur (épisode 5)
Within the “curatorship” research axis, three curators were invited to describe their ideal, imagined, or unconstrained exhibition. In this episode, Galerie UQO welcomes curator Emelie Chhangur.
L’exposition idéale de Nicole Gingras (épisode 6)
As part of the curatorial research axis, curator Nicole Gingras shares her vision of an ideal or unconstrained exhibition.
L’exposition idéale d’Anne-Marie St-Jean Aubre (épisode 7)
In this episode, curator Anne-Marie St-Jean Aubre reflects on her ideal or imagined exhibition within the framework of the curatorial research axis.
Axe commissariat : le Petit lexique du commissariat (épisode 8)
Galerie UQO presents a reading of Petit lexique du commissariat by Marie Fraser, delivered by Christophe Barbeau. Rather than producing five exhibitions as usual, the gallery activated five research axes to collectively stimulate a research and creation process.
Entretien avec Reesa Greenberg et Marie-Hélène Leblanc (épisode 9)
The final episode of the collaborative and transdisciplinary laboratory Chercher l’ouverture was produced within the “exhibition” research axis. Galerie UQO presents a conversation between art historian and author Reesa Greenberg and Galerie UQO’s director and curator, Marie-Hélène Leblanc. The discussion takes as its point of departure the seminal volume Thinking about Exhibitions (1996), co-edited by Reesa Greenberg.