PHÉNOMÈNE DU DORTOIR

From March 6 to April 10, 2021.

Phénomène du dortoir is the charming name given to the natural synchronisation of women’s menstruations. Not without humour, this term represents, for the two artists, what should be the ideal collaboration, one that influences cycles, moods, and work methods.

As Guimond works mainly in painting and Scenna mostly in installation, the two artists have made the pact, when embarking in this project, to let go of their comfort zone and to push their limits. This project represents, for both of these Montreal artists, a first official collaboration.

The process leading to this reformulation of their practices echoes their reflections about originality, as they approach common themes together. Notably, the teenage years, this key period of existence when, filled with both hopes and constraints, one builds his/her social identity. As the artists perceive this theme as an open junction of possibilities, Phénomène du dortoir becomes a performative space, unfolding as an installation comprised of drawing, painting, sculpture, video and sound.

As the project evolves in the gallery, the public is invited to regularly visit the exhibition, and to follow it via Instagram. The gaps between the real exhibition and its virtual representation online are therefore highlighted and tackled by the artists. This is coherent with their practices, as for both Guimond and Scenna, images and/or documentation are always subject to manipulation, generating new meanings, sometimes poetic and often contradictory.