Laurent Viens and Pascale Bussières Celebrate the Legacy of Émile Nelligan
Montreal, QC - June 2nd, 2009
At the Hôtel Nelligan, Artifex presents an exhibition entitled
“Nelligan vu par Laurent Viens en compagnie de Pascale Bussières“
MONTRÉAL, JUNE 2, 2009 - Discover Émile Nelligan through the eyes of contemporary painter Laurent Viens, who is offering a very personal pictorial tribute to perpetuate the memory of the great poet. Nelligan vu par Laurent Viens en compagnie de Pascale Bussières will be presented at the Hotel Nelligan (106 Saint-Paul Street West), on Tuesday, June 9, 2009, at a free vernissage/cocktail reception, open to the public, starting at 5 p.m. At 6 p.m., actress Pascale Bussières will give a reading of an emotional text, inspired by Viens’s works. This exhibit is the third in a series organized by Artifex and the Hotel Nelligan, and will continue all summer long.
A student of Brother Jérôme, whose teaching follows the path laid out by Borduas and the Refus Global (Total Refusal), Laurent Viens is a contemporary artist who is uncompromising and brilliant but unpretentious. Energetic and well versed in multiple creative media, he plays with matter in all its forms and uses tar to create a unique and totally original colour palette. During this memorable evening, actress Pascale Bussières will give a reading of a text inspired by the works that Laurent Viens has created. A Québec actress of remarkable talent, Pascale Bussières has received many awards for her performances, including that of the Montréal World Film Festival, as well as Jutra, Métrostar and Génie awards. “I greatly admire Laurent’s work; his unique approach and his straight-from-the-heart gestures reach me in a special way. I am delighted to be participating in Nelligan vu par Laurent Viens, a project that resonates to the core of my being,” said Pascale Bussières.
The Nelligan vu par … series is an initiative spearheaded by Jean-Philippe Caron, Artwork Commissioner and Senior Associate with Artifex and the Hotel Nelligan. The project shines a spotlight on the life and works of Québec poet Émile Nelligan, as part of a series of twelve exhibits featuring the works of highly talented Québec artists. Each exhibit brings together a painter and a celebrity who gives a reading of a literary text inspired by the painter’s work. The performance is particularly interesting in that it takes an intimate look at Nelligan’s world. Jean-Daniel Rohrer, Garou, Sylvie Cloutier, Brigitte Saint-Aubin, Dominique Madgin, Joël Legendre, Jean-Marc Chaput, Joan Dumouchel, Gilbert Rozon, Marcel H. Poirier and Marie-Hélène Sirois, to name just a few, will take turns celebrating Nelligan. “Recognizing the poetic legacy of Nelligan through the creation of works of art provides an extraordinary opportunity to commemorate this great poet and to showcase the exceptional talents of local painters,” says Jean-Philippe Caron.
A portion of the proceeds of the sale of the paintings will be donated to the Sainte-Justine Hospital Foundation.
The conclusion of the Nelligan vu par… series will be marked by the publication of a collector’s art book presenting all of the artworks in the project, at the end of 2010. For more information about Nelligan vu par… please contact the Hotel Nelligan at 514-788-2040.
For more information, high-resolution photographs or an interview with Laurent Viens and Pascale Bussières:
Artifex
Jean-Philippe Caron, Exhibit Commissioner
jp@artifex.ca
(514) 260-9991
For an interview with Hotel Nelligan staff members, or for more information about the hotel:
Communications MECA
Hind Ounis
514) 288-8500, ext. 234
hounis@meca.ca
OR
Antonopoulos Group
Mélodie Gingras
(514)866-8080, ext. 251
mgingras@experiencevieuxmontreal.com
