Territoires 2.0, 2021
Olivier Roberge
A mysterious metallic cube, from which glows a starry firmament, has landed unexpectedly in the city. Anyone who ventures inside will discover a true narrative microcosm: a diorama carefully designed to both captivate and induce apprehension. It is a miniature landscape depicting a natural environment that has been abundantly transformed by human intervention and climate change.
In this second version of the work Territories, the once winterly panorama gives way to a summer climate and the staging of nature in the midst of transformation. The expanse of the land is visually interrupted by billboards and graffiti intrusions. Typical of the materialization of the (in)compatible specific to Olivier Roberge’s artistic approach, these colliding symbols allude to capitalist interests perpetrated by consumerism as well as the need for individual expression that counterbalances them. Could the fiery visuals appearing on the boards be a sign of destruction, or of the hope of regeneration?
Olivier Roberge creates miniature landscapes through which he gives shape to poetic worlds merging nature and technology; the real and the imagined; and the past, present and future. Originally from Quebec City, he now lives and works in Montreal. His work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at the artist-run centre Caravansérail in Rimouski (2020) and the St-Bruno-de-Montarville old presbytery exhibition centre (2019). He has notably participated in group exhibitions at the Centre d’exposition de l’Université de Montréal (2019) and the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (2018). His works are part of the Desjardins collection, the Global Affairs Canada collection, and many private collections.
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