Richmond BC, Canada #richmondartgallerybc
Artists Aleesa Cohene and Caroline Monnet join curator Zoë Chan to discuss their respective practices and featured videos in the Codes of Silence exhibition currently on display at the Richmond Art Gallery until April 2.
This talk was recorded live on March 14, 2023 and included a Q+A portion with participants from the live-stream. See the video on our menu to the right.
Hosted by RAG Curator, Zoë Chan.
Produced by the Richmond Art Gallery Association.
About the Artists:
Aleesa Cohene’s work has been exhibited in festivals and galleries internationally, with solo exhibitions at Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography (Toronto), Gallery Suvi Lehtinen (Berlin), Glasmoog Gallery (Cologne), and Reykjavik Photography Museum. They hold a Masters of Visual Studies from the University of Toronto, and completed a fellowship at the Kunsthochschule für Medien (Cologne) under German experimental filmmaker Matthias Müller. Cohene has participated in artist residencies in Canada, Denmark, and the Netherlands, and has won grants and prizes in Canada and Europe. Their work is part of the permanent collection of Oakville Galleries and numerous private collections.
Caroline Monnet (Anishinaabe/French) is a multidisciplinary artist from Outaouais, Quebec. She studied Sociology and Communication at the University of Ottawa (Canada) and the University of Granada (Spain) before pursuing a career in visual arts and film. Her work has been programmed internationally at the Whitney Biennial (NYC), Toronto Biennale of Art, KØS museum (Copenhagen), Museum of Contemporary Art (Montréal), the National Art Gallery (Ottawa). Solo exhibitions include Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt, Arsenal Contemporary (NYC) and Centre d’art international de Vassivière (France). Her films have been programmed at film festivals such as TIFF, Sundance, Aesthetica (UK), Palm Springs and Cannes. In 2016, she was selected for the Cinéfondation residency in Paris. Her work is included in numerous collections in North America as well as the permanent UNESCO collection in Paris. Monnet is recipient of the 2020 Pierre-Ayot award, the 2020 Sobey Art Award, the Merata Mita Fellowship, and the REVEAL Indigenous Art Awards. She is based in Montreal and represented by Blouin-Division Gallery.
About the Exhibition:
Codes of Silence presents four multifaceted videos by Shirley Bruno, Aleesa Cohene, Caroline Monnet, and Cauleen Smith that invite us to pay attention not only to the moments voices are present, but to also to those of rich quiet. These videos by are presented in tandem with a selection of paintings by Toni Onley, Leslie Poole, and Harry Stanbridge from the City of Richmond’s permanent collection, which resonate with the exhibition’s themes, creating an ambience of contemplation.
