TEXT DZENANA MUJADZIC | ERSCHIENEN IN CHAPTER №IX »WORK IN PROGRESS« – WINTER 2023/24
Mit ihrem Galerieprojekt Bruises lenken Florence Provencher-Proulx und Isaac Larose unsere Auf-merksamkeit wieder auf eine spielerisch-spontane Ästhetik, weit weg von der gegenwärtig stilis-tisch vorherrschenden, optisch uniformen Modernität. Ihr Schwerpunkt liegt dabei auf der Handwerks-kunst und dem Möbeldesign von Kunstschaffenden ihrer französisch geprägten Heimatregion Québec.
Chapter Where did the idea for your gallery project Bruises come from and what’s the creative vision behind it?
Florence Provencher-Proulx During the first pandemic lockdown, Isaac and I started collecting various pieces. With everything closed down, we saw an opportunity to do an exhibition reflecting the current situation by reuniting contemporary artworks with our found objects. The inaugural exhibition, »Une maison sans ami« (a friendless home), took place in an abandoned garage filled with sand to create a surreal atmosphere. Our aim was to delve into the theme of social disconnection, using the allure and amusement of unconventional objects to fill a void.
Chapter Your curation is a mix of found objects and works of contemporary artists bringing forward a »Québécois perspective«. Can you define this particular term and elaborate on it a little bit more?
Florence Provencher-Proulx A main portion of our curation focuses on craftsmanship and furniture design from Québec that are scarcely found elsewhere, combined with works of Québécois contemporary artists. Being French Canadians, we’re deeply inspired by our French heritage and love to include great French designs in our curation such as Yves de La Tour d’Auvergne’s functional sculptures that were showcased in our first show.
Chapter Can you tell us about the process of selecting individual pieces for Bruises and if you happen to know anything about their story and provenance?
Florence Provencher-Proulx I like to create tension with different types of objects that become even more beautiful when combined. It’s an intuitive process. Never knowing what I’ll stumble upon, there’s also a beauty generated from the unexpected. While we may not always have provenance information, we often come across captivating anecdotes from the previous owners. In a similar vein, one of the artists we work with, Sylvie Cauchon, creates ceramic animals. We frequently receive requests from clients who want Sylvie to replicate their beloved pets. They send us various photos and personality descriptions to ensure Sylvie can recreate their pets with her unique renditions.
Chapter You recently started welding metal furniture and you also showed in London at Frieze No.9 Cork Street a fishbone chair you made with salvaged metal. Being a curator and artist as well, what are the all-binding elements of your artistic explorations?
Florence Provencher-Proulx The aim with Bruises has always been to explore the universe we’ve created without limiting it to a traditional gallery path. Creating metal pieces is an exploration that I find is retaining a Bruises footprint while also carving out my own personal identity in the work.
