ARTIST STATEMENT
The question of the status of the artwork and its relation to the spectator is at the centre of Chloé Desjardin's artistic practice. It is embodied in the choice of forms and objects she represents in her work and by the way she composes her installations. By reproducing packaging, tools, materials that are used in the creative process – and more recently, architectural elements (scaffolding, columns) –, she wants to reveal the external structures of artwork’s conception, production and operation. Chloé Desjardin's pieces are essentially staged so to mimic art presentation forms recognizable and understandable by all (the museum, the monument, etc.). Furthermore, she associates apparently incompatible or contrary elements to generate a questioning on our a priori. Her sculptures are objects that push against an easy understanding. They are based on a simple idea that is then deconstructed and presented as a puzzle to solve. Chloé Desjardin's work is therefore conceived to place the spectator at the centre of a reflexion on the value, originality and signification of what is given to look at. Centre from which the gaze is directed to the edge of the frame. In that sense, it not only arouses curiosity, but encourages the watcher to use its sensitivity and develop critical thinking.
Biography:
Chloé Desjardins completed a Bachelor’s degree in studio arts at Concordia University and a Master’s degree in creation at the School of Visual and Media Arts at the University of Quebec in Montreal. During this last training, she studied and deepened her knowledge of casting and moulding techniques. Now, sculpture takes up a predominant place in her practice. Over the last few years, her work has been presented in many cities in Quebec and Canada. She has taking part in an artist's residency at the Banff Center for the arts in 2013 and has been invited to talk about her work at the University of Lethbridge (both in Alberta) in 2015. In-depth articles on her work were published in different art magazines, newspapers and specialized publications. Her work is part of the Montreal art collection, the Laval art collection, the Longueil art collection and the Collection du prêt d’oeuvres d’art du Musée des beaux-arts du Québec. She is a member of the board committee of the Galerie B-312 artist’s run centre and president since 2016. Many time supported by the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and the Canada Council for the Arts, she is the recipient of the Plein Sud honorary Grant 2014.
