Montréal, November 7, 2019 — The Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal (MAC) is pleased to invite visitors in November to talks by and encounters with renowned artists. Notably, the MAC is proud to welcome architect Eyal Weizman for a lecture in Montreal on November 17. Weizman is the founder of Forensic Architecture, a unique research collective that mixes high-tech, architecture, and contemporary art to investigate and expose state crimes. A number of guided tours are also on the program with artists whose exhibitions are ongoing at the MAC, including Janet Werner. In addition, the MAC is partnering with Artexte on November 9 to offer visitors the chance to participate in a new edition of Art + feminism, a day to make contributions to the editing of texts on Wikipedia.
Lecture by Eyal Weizman of Forensic Architecture
Sunday, November 17
3 p.m.
At Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BaNQ)
475, De Maisonneuve Blvd E., Montréal
Free admission, first come, first served
Forensic Architecture (FA) is an interdisciplinary group of artists, architects, filmmakers, investigative journalists, scientists, software developers and lawyers operating as a research agency led by Israeli-British architect Eyal Weizman.
Founded in 2010 as part of the Centre for Research Architecture at Goldsmiths, University of London, the agency investigates contemporary political conflicts, police violence and human rights violations with and on behalf of the communities affected, international prosecutors, environmental justice groups, and media organizations. The results of their work are presented in international courtrooms, citizens’ tribunals and parliamentary inquiries, as well as in exhibitions, publications, keynote lectures and seminars. All these forums are used to reflect on contemporary forms of violence in the political and cultural context of our times.
The work of these investigators has been presented at international art and architecture exhibitions. For their recent project, a video produced for the 2019 Whitney Biennal, FA developed a machine learning algorithm to automate the detection of Triple-Chaser tear gas grenade manufactured by Defense Technology, a subsidiary of the Safariland Group. By analyzing online photos and images from civilian cameras, the algorithm was able to detect and locate the use of this grenade in countries in North and South America, the Middle East and North Africa.
Eyal Weizman is Professor of Spatial and Visual Cultures and founding director of the Centre for Research Architecture at Goldsmiths, University of London. In 2010 he founded the research agency Forensic Architecture and directs it ever since. The work of the agency is documented in the exhibition and book FORENSIS (Sternberg, 2014), as well as in Forensic Architecture: Violence at the Threshold of Detectability (Zone/MIT, 2017) and in numerous exhibitions worldwide. In 2007 he set up, with Sandi Hilal and Alessandro Petti, the architectural collective DAAR in Beit Sahour/Palestine. This work is documented in the book Architecture after Revolution (Sternberg, 2014). In 2013 he designed a permanent folly in Gwangju, South Korea which was documented in the book The Roundabout Revolution (Sternberg, 2015). His other books include The Conflict Shoreline (Steidl and Cabinet, 2015), Mengele’s Skull (Sternberg, 2012), The Least of all Possible Evils (Verso, 2011), Hollow Land (Verso, 2007), A Civilian Occupation (Verso, 2003). Weizman is on the editorial board of Third Text, Humanity, Cabinet and Political Concepts and is on the board of directors of the Centre for Investigative Journalism (CIJ) and on the Technology Advisory Board of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. He previously sat on the advisory boards of the ICA in London and B’Tselem in Jerusalem, amongst others. He graduated in architecture in 1998 from the Architectural Association in London and completed his PhD at the London Consortium/Birkbeck College in 2006.
Upcoming artists tours
The artists and curators tours are always appreciated by visitors and a great opportunity to discover exhibitions from a different perspective and to meet and talk with players from the contemporary art scene.
- Guided tour of Janet Werner’s exhibition with the artist and François LeTourneux, exhibition curator and associate curator at the MAC.
Wednesday, November 13, 6 p.m. in French and English - Guided tour of Je vois ce que tu regardes with artist Serge Tousignant and exhibition curator Mark Lanctôt.
Wednesday, December 4, 6 p.m., in French
Art + feminism: Wikipedia edit-a-thon
Saturday, November 9
12:15 p.m. – 5 p.m.
At Artexte
2 Sainte-Catherine St E, space 301
Free admission, open to everyone
The Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal and Artexte information centre are joining together on Saturday, November 9, to highlight the work of artists and authors from groups that are underrepresented in Wikipedia, including women, people of colour, indigenous people and people from the LGBTQ+ community, with a Wikipedia Art+Feminism edit-a-thon.
Acknowledgements
The Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal is a provincially owned corporation funded by the ministère de la Culture et des Communications du Québec. It receives additional funding from the Government of Canada and the Canada Council for the Arts.
Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal
Located in the heart of the Quartier des Spectacles, the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal makes today’s art a vital part of Montréal and Québec life. For more than fifty years, this vibrant museum has brought together local and international artists, their works and an ever-growing public. It is also a place of discovery, offering visitors experiences that are continually changing and new, and often unexpected and stirring. The MAC presents temporary exhibitions devoted to outstanding and relevant current artists who provide their own particular insight into our society, as well as exhibitions of works drawn from the museum’s extensive collection. These may feature any and every form of expression: digital and sound works, installations, paintings, sculptures, ephemeral pieces, and more. In addition to its wide range of educational activities familiarizing the general public with contemporary art, the MAC organizes unique artistic performances and festive events. It is a window onto a myriad of avant-garde expressions that extend the reach of art throughout the city and beyond.
Source and Information
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Anne Dongois
T. 514 826-2050
[email protected]