Residency : from September 5 to 11, 2015
Opening : Friday September 11, at 5pm
The human relationship with water is at the heart of Elyse and Emilio Portal’s artistic project (re)member of water. The pair of interdisciplinary artists is interested in the rivers, creeks and other waterways buried beneath our cities. In Sudbury, they’ll be exploring the community’s relationship with Junction creek: a creek that zig-zags across much of the city, a portion of which is buried beneath the downtown, flowing beneath the GNO itself. An installation of suspended textile works will evoke all the waterways made invisible by urban planning. The stories and character of the Junction will be told through drawings, sculptural installation and video works. Also, the creek’s voice will stream throughout the space thanks to a recorded soundscape.
Sponsor
Emilio Portal
Transdisciplinary artist, Emilio Portal considers sound as much more than a simple vibratory pattern: he perceives it as an autonomous entity. He attributes unique properties to sound, giving it a life of its own. Portal’s artistic approach extends to a sensibility where life expresses itself through all aspects of nature, whether animated or inanimate. In his practice, Portal elevates elements such as sound, light, wood and stone beyond their utilitarian function. Drawing on his French, Irish, Peruvian, and Indigenous origins, his work is rooted in ancestral knowledge and challenges colonial narratives. Portal has exhibited across Canada and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Laurentian University, another in Environmental Design (Architecture) from Dalhousie University, as well as a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Victoria. Emilio Portal (he/il/they) lives and works in Sudbury.
Artist ProfileElyse Portal
Elyse Portal has been practicing ecological art for almost 20 years, both solo and with the artist collective eeportal. In order to counter the effects of a consumerist culture, as well as the alienating experience that results from the growing gap between humanity and nature, Elyse Portal anchors herself in her environment by presenting in situ projects. Her practice involves a creative process that includes the participation of non-human actors such as clay, plants, natural pigments, and waters.
Artist Profile