Opening on frebuary 28 from 5pm in Ahkwayaonhkeh galery !

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Briser la glace/splitting ice 

Amy Malbeuf and Jordan Bennett  

Deep within a snowy forest, a figure in a white body suit walks toward open area and proceeds to remove her suit, only to reveal another one underneath, and so on, until she is completely naked. Through her gestures, Malbeuf asserts her Indigenous identity and her relationship with living beings, echoing other women who have resisted becoming objectified by the colonial gaze, just as in A Divine Persona of SWof1… Wof4. In the latter piece, Malbeuf’s body seems to float in the middle of a circle of white glitter reminiscent of whirling snowflakes. Part of a series of portals that she has created since 2009, it serves as both an entrance and an exit, a route to the earth, the moon, the universe, the maternal womb, and even the void.


Nearby, other portals lead us into the depths of aquatic life. Jordan Bennett’s fishing holes invite us, like ice fishers, to take our time. Only then will we connect with the water under the mysterious hole in the gallery floor, where we might even meet the creatures that live there.


Invited to take part in Manif d’art 12 as a collaborative duo, Malbeuf and Bennett perform actions that are rooted in their respective Métis and Mi’kmaq traditions. The knowledge that they have received from their ancestors and loved ones is now passed on to their own children. In this exhibition, we are included in their intimate relationships with the land and with winter, with their family and their process of transmission. In turn, we too are given entry into the portal of their lives.

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Biography 

 
Amy Malbeuf is a Métis visual artist and cultural tattoo practitioner. She explores notions of identity, site, language, and ecology through caribou-hair tufting, beadwork, performance, installation, video, and tattooing. She has presented her work nationally and internationally, and she is the recipient of the Reveal Indigenous Arts Award from the Hnatyshyn Foundation (2017). She was longlisted for the Sobey Art Award in 2017 and 2020.


Jordan Bennett is a L’nu (Mi’kmaq) artist. Guided by the land of his ancestors, his practice opens conversations about contemporary Indigenous realities in urban and rural settings. His works explore land, language, the act of visiting, and family histories. His work has been included in numerous national and international exhibitions, and he is the 2020 recipient of the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia Masterwork Arts Award.


Presented by the Hilton Québec.