Valérie Kolakis

Untitled (Concrete) (tirée de l’installation « Small Flowers Crack Concrete », 2010-2011), 2010-2011

© Valérie Kolakis • Photo: Richard-Max Tremblay

Valérie Kolakis, Untitled (Concrete) (tirée de l’installation « Small Flowers Crack Concrete », 2010-2011), © Valérie Kolakis • Photo: Richard-Max Tremblay

© Valérie Kolakis • Photo: Richard-Max Tremblay

Valérie Kolakis, Untitled (Concrete) (tirée de l’installation « Small Flowers Crack Concrete », 2010-2011), © Valérie Kolakis • Photo: Richard-Max Tremblay
Artist
Valérie Kolakis
Title
Untitled (Concrete) (tirée de l’installation « Small Flowers Crack Concrete », 2010-2011)
Dimensions and medium
Concrete, 243 × 61.3 × 61 cm
Origin
Gift of the artist
Artwork description
Untitled (Concrete) is part of an installation of six works titled Small Flowers Crack Concrete, and consists of poured concrete forms that rise vertically in the space, akin to a fragment of a column, or a beam extracted from the urban infrastructure. The empty interior of this quasi-architectural-vestige conveys a fragility that belies the robust properties of concrete. Referencing the processes of industrial construction, the piece prompts us to reflect on anonymous creations, while referencing minimalist ideologies and the pared-down aesthetics of modern architecture. Through this piece, which appears to have been uprooted from its original context, Valérie Kolakis invites viewers to reconsider the categorization, usage, construction, and history of objects. At the same time, she looks at how artworks are commodified. Rising like Greek or Roman columns, the work also reveals the biographical aspect of the Athenian-born artist’s creative approach.

See Also

Neubrückwerk Düsseldorf gewidmet, 1976, Red cedar.
Carl Andre, Neubrückwerk Düsseldorf gewidmet, 1976 Neubrückwerk Düsseldorf gewidmet, 1976, Red cedar.
Very, Very Shaky, 2008, Vinyl gouache on paper.
Adrian Norvid, Very, Very Shaky, 2008 Very, Very Shaky, 2008, Vinyl gouache on paper.
Les Grandes aventures de Benvenuto Cellini, 1989, Silkscreen, photographs, and acrylic on plywood.
Pierre Ayot, Les Grandes aventures de Benvenuto Cellini, 1989 Les Grandes aventures de Benvenuto Cellini, 1989, Silkscreen, photographs, and acrylic on plywood.
Hommage au Tiers-Monde, 1966, Cast iron.
Armand Vaillancourt, Hommage au Tiers-Monde, 1966 Hommage au Tiers-Monde, 1966, Cast iron.
Bale Variant No. 0018 (Black), 2010, Clothes, ribbons, and wood.
Shinique Smith, Bale Variant No. 0018 (Black), 2010 Bale Variant No. 0018 (Black), 2010, Clothes, ribbons, and wood.
Eastlake : intransigeant, 2007, Mixed media, wood, and fabric.
Yannick Pouliot, Eastlake : intransigeant, 2007 Eastlake : intransigeant, 2007, Mixed media, wood, and fabric.
Silence and Slow Time, 1994, Glass, steel, aluminum, fibreglass, rubber tube, vinyl tube, pump, fluorescent light, and water.
Catherine Widgery, Silence and Slow Time, 1994 Silence and Slow Time, 1994, Glass, steel, aluminum, fibreglass, rubber tube, vinyl tube, pump, fluorescent light, and water.
Sans titre, 1965, Corten steel.
Ivanhoë Fortier, Sans titre, 1965 Sans titre, 1965, Corten steel.
Espaces triangulaires, c. 1972, Painted metal.
Pierre Heyvaert, Espaces triangulaires, c. 1972 Espaces triangulaires, c. 1972, Painted metal.
Amerik, 1970, Canvas, string, flannel, wool, adhesive bandage, and aluminum.
Serge Lemoyne, Amerik, 1970 Amerik, 1970, Canvas, string, flannel, wool, adhesive bandage, and aluminum.
Cosmonaute n° 2, 1965, Steel and wood.
Yves Trudeau, Cosmonaute n° 2, 1965 Cosmonaute n° 2, 1965, Steel and wood.
Triplo Igloo, 1984, Aluminum, steel, broken glass, clamps, and clay.
Mario Merz, Triplo Igloo, 1984 Triplo Igloo, 1984, Aluminum, steel, broken glass, clamps, and clay.
Conical Plane of Four Masses Round, 1971, Steel.
David Rabinowitch, Conical Plane of Four Masses Round, 1971 Conical Plane of Four Masses Round, 1971, Steel.
Tavolo, 1978, Metal, glass, and stone.
Mario Merz, Tavolo, 1978 Tavolo, 1978, Metal, glass, and stone.
Justice aux Indiens d’Amérique, 1957, Wood and steel.
Armand Vaillancourt, Justice aux Indiens d’Amérique, 1957 Justice aux Indiens d’Amérique, 1957, Wood and steel.
Loading...

Only a part of the collection is currently online and the artworks on display at the MAC are accompanied by the icon

The contents presented in this section are not exhaustive and may be subject to revision. If you have comments to share, or errors to report, please contact us at [email protected].

For information about copyright and intellectual property, or for a reproduction request, see our Terms of Use.