CATHERINE BÉCHARD and SABIN HUDON
La chute des potentiels
Catherine Béchard and Sabin Hudon have been working as an artist-duo since 1999. They live and work in Montréal.-Both are interested in the sounds that they bring to life through a variety of aesthetic choices: sculpture, kinetic installation, audio art and performance. -They have held individual exhibitions at (Chicoutimi, 2009), Oboro (Montreal, 2008), Galerie Sans Nom (Moncton, 2008), Latitude 53 (Edmonton, 2008), Action Art Actuel (Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu) , 2006), aceartinc (Winnipeg, 2005), Avatar (Quebec, 2004) and la Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteu (Montreal, 2002). Their work has been presented at group exhibitions, events and festivals in Canada and the United States, including Mois Multi (Québec 2010), Galerie Graff (Montreal, 2005) and Eyedrum Art and Music. Gallery (Atlanta, 2003). In autumn 2010, they presented La chute des potentiels at the Tina B. Festival (Prague). A monograph on their work will be published in the spring of 2011 at Éditions Oboro.
—Opening Friday 19 November 2010 at 5 pm
Galerie B-312 is pleased to present La chute des potentials, the most recent installation of the duo Catherine Béchard and Sabin Hudon. At first glance, fishing rods assembled in a circle catch the eye. Then, we notice the networks of electric wires on the ground, intertwined with a panoply of glass containers in the middle. Infrared sensors detect the presence of visitors and activate a programmed sequence of movements, the results of which vary according to the circumstances. Fishing rods dive towards the containers; coming in contact with the glass. Vibratory motors installed as a decoy produce sounds varying in intensity. The choice of glass objects and their layout show a nuanced acoustic research. If the relation between the spectator and the installation is essential to its functioning, it is the sound, used as a sculptural material that allows the work to occupy and transform the surrounding space. Catherine Béchard and Sabin Hudon’s works diverge familiar shapes by the incorporation of mechanical movements or the production of unexpected sounds. The objects used in the installation, refer to experiences or cultural knowledge, evoking specific images. For instance, fishing rods conjure the action of fishing or capturing. In the installation, the back and forth movement of the fishing rods gives them an organic appearance. This transformation paves the way for the creation of new associations. On the acoustic side, the glass containers recall several sounds: touched, tinted or broken, they produce distinguished sounds. On the other hand, the contact of vibratory motors against the glass walls produces a different effect. The spectator discovers an unsuspected chime and plunges into a new sonic universe. For Catherine Béchard and Sabin Hudon, each installation leads to a discussion on the impalpable elements of the social microcosm. The opposition of the familiar components and mechanisms with unexpected effects also gives the work a poetic richness that opens the way to a variety of interpretations.
—Translation of a text by MATHIEU MÉNARD
Catherine Béchard and Sabin Hudon have been working as an artist-duo since 1999. They live and work in Montréal.-Both are interested in the sounds that they bring to life through a variety of aesthetic choices: sculpture, kinetic installation, audio art and performance. -They have held individual exhibitions at (Chicoutimi, 2009), Oboro (Montreal, 2008), Galerie Sans Nom (Moncton, 2008), Latitude 53 (Edmonton, 2008), Action Art Actuel (Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu) , 2006), aceartinc (Winnipeg, 2005), Avatar (Quebec, 2004) and la Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteu (Montreal, 2002). Their work has been presented at group exhibitions, events and festivals in Canada and the United States, including Mois Multi (Québec 2010), Galerie Graff (Montreal, 2005) and Eyedrum Art and Music. Gallery (Atlanta, 2003). In autumn 2010, they presented La chute des potentiels at the Tina B. Festival (Prague). A monograph on their work will be published in the spring of 2011 at Éditions Oboro.