Contemporary Native Art Biennial

DRAC welcomes the exhibition Creation stories / Récits de la création du monde as part of the 7th edition of the Contemporary Native Art Biennial (BACA). This edition of BACA is curated by a collective of four curators, each of whom represents a geographical and cultural area determined by one of the four cardinal points: Lori Beavis represents the South and Centre, Emma Hassencahl-Perley the East, Jake Kimble the West and Teresa Vander Meer-Chassé the North. The collaboration of these curators, each with diverse backgrounds and skills, is sure to create an outstanding exhibition from one venue to the next. Their individual and collective efforts will provide visitors with a distinct perspective of the subject matter, creating a powerful visual narrative that explores creation stories through their multidimensional aspects. Indeed, the theme explored refers to the founding myths of Indigenous people, such as the story of Turtle Island, which represents both spiritual and nurturing territory, as well as a place of residence and home for living beings.

In this group show, the theme of Stories of Place will be explored at DRAC through the work of artists from across Canada: rudi aker, Michael Belmore, Calvin Morberg, Nicolas Renaud, Heather Shillinglaw, Jason Sikoak and Krystle Silverfox. These seven artists are telling their own story about their home place and the spaces of their ancestors by using a variety of media. They are telling the stories of the places with beads, sculptural objects, video, seal skin, carving and painting. The stories of place are built through observation, life experiences but also an understanding of relationality and the natural environment.

Created in 2012, the Contemporary Native Art Biennial is a major visual arts event in Quebec presenting the work of some sixty artists from several nations across North America. This year’s event runs from March to September in four Quebec cities: Montreal, Drummondville, Sherbrooke and Saint-Hyacinthe.

This year’s edition of BACA will feature seven other exhibition venues, including La Guilde (Montreal), Art Mûr Gallery (Montreal), Stewart Hall Art Gallery (Montreal), McCord Museum (Montreal), Maison de la culture de Verdun (Montreal), Musée des beaux-arts de Sherbrooke (Sherbrooke) and Expression – Centre d’exposition (Saint-Hyacinthe).