About —
The notion of the monument lies at the heart of this exhibition of works from the Museum’s permanent collection. Its title is inspired by the definition of sites of memory developed by the French historian Pierre Nora, which encompasses monuments: “ These lieux de mémoire are fundamentally remains, the ultimate embodiments of a memorial consciousness that has barely survived in a historical age that calls out for memory because it has abandoned it.”
The exhibition provides a journey through the artistic practices of the past century, delving into subjects associated with the realm of monuments: the sculptural, the architectural, permanence, commemoration and memory. It sheds light on key issues linked to the history of sculpture from the 20th century to the present day.
In the earliest works, public monuments served as models for artists, who reproduced them for commercial purposes. In more recent works, artists have defied realistic architectural rendering, treating the monument in an abstract manner. Some challenge the very notion of mimesis, the faithful representation of reality, suggesting that ultimately, everything is an image and a construction.
The representation of reality is linked to the subjective construction of History. The more recent the works, the more they assert themselves as antimonuments. They present an aesthetic counter-narrative, drawing on alternative stories rooted in the mundane aspects of daily life, rather than on unifying collective myths. These sculptures offer a new perspective on the monument, whether through poetic interpretation, the complete flattening of volume, or the rendering of public sites and the people around them invisible.
While monuments have long served to commemorate events and individuals, some artists seek to reposition marginalized subjects within in a History written by and for men. The exhibition features busts of two female artists, shedding light on the hierarchical structures prevalent within societal groups. Ultimately, the exhibition beckons towards a future that empowers Indigenous peoples as central protagonists, reshaping the dynamics of power.
Booklet
Artists —
Biography —
Julie Alary Lavalée is the Collections Curator at the Musée d’art de Joliette. Her PhD thesis in Art History at Concordia University deals with the history of exhibitions, drawing examples of contemporary art group exhibitions from India that focus on social groups from the invisible margins of society. Her curatorial projects have been presented at the Museé d’art de Joliette (2020-2024), L’Écart (2018), the Maison des arts de Laval (Triennale banlieu, 2018), and as part of the Biennale nationale de sculpture contemporaine de Trois-Rivières (2020).
Images in the banner:
© David Altmejd, Untitled 5 (Bodybuilders), 2013. Musée d’art de Joliette Collection. 2023.131. Photo: Paul Litherland
Gabriel Brun-Buisson, Joan of Arc monument at Place des Pyramides, undated. Gift of the Clerics of Saint Viator of Canada. Musée d’art de Joliette Collection. 2022.263.
Alfred Laliberté, Maquette du monument à Dollard des Ormeaux, between 1911-1918. Gift of Me Claude Laberge. Musée d’art de Joliette Collection. 1976.030. Photo: Paul Litherland