1700 La Poste is pleased to present an exhibition dedicated to Montreal sculptor Gilles Mihalcean.
Bringing together more than thirty works created between 1991 and 2021, the exhibition is articulated around the concepts of reversal and redirection. Mihalcean devises imaginary, playful constructions that meld various artistic styles. In works assembled from found and made objects, he modifies the primary function of the elements deployed, diverting their meaning. Confounding our perceptions, his works become visual metaphors, with as many possible narratives as there are viewpoints.
“Mihalcean creates his sculptures primarily through the assemblage of heterogeneous elements, which, gathered up, form a new entity; the properties of the forms and materials used are diverted from their primary function and together produce a new object that is at once imaginary and metaphorical. The artist thereby opens his work to multiple interpretations that act through effects of surprise, unsettling the spectator.”
– Excerpt from “Gilles Mihalcean and Our States of Being,” by Isabelle de Mévius
Recognized for his contribution to the revival of sculpture in the 1980s, Mihalcean takes a poetic and narrative approach to art. With strong roots in Quebec culture, he sets out to provoke critical thought about the nature of the self and its relation to society.
A catalogue with a preface by Isabelle de Mévius features an essay by Laurier Lacroix, an interview with Gilles Mihalcean conducted by Charles Guilbert and texts by the artist.