If all goes according to plan, Australian artist Alex Grilanc will not be idle from December 16 to 21. Each day will be like a quick dating session for him, or speed dating, with the difference that it will not only meet people, but also objects.
These objects are those that the public will present to them at the event called “Merry Capitalismas”. What objects are we talking about? “We can bring what we want,” says Dorian Verdier, founder of the L’Original gallery, located in Old Montreal. An old stool, a piece of clothing, a lamp, even a canvas that we would like to get rid of.
After a discussion between the client and the artist, the latter will immediately get to work, in exchange for a remuneration that will be agreed in advance. “The idea is to bring objects back to life with recycling. But there will also be a message, ”explains Dorian Verdier. This is because the event organized by the gallery during this holiday season is in a way a critique of capitalism and consumer society.
Consumerism is also the main source of inspiration for Alex Grilanc, who does not hesitate to criticize waste or an economic model based on infinite growth through his works. “There is such a waste of resources, our entire system is organized in this way,” says the artist, who has lived in Montreal for three years.
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PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Work at the L’Original gallery
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PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Work at the L’Original gallery
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Study “the beast”
Consumerism is also in a way the “business model” of L’Original, a non-profit organization founded in 2018 by Dorian Verdier, a young Frenchman who arrived in Montreal four years ago. This culture shock, without being brutal, allowed him to better understand the phenomenon. It must be said that the young man came directly from a French town of less than 800 inhabitants, Saint-Baudille-de-la-Tour, located near Lyon.
His goal was to come and study “the beast” in North America, to better understand its workings. He therefore enrolled in applied economics and marketing at HEC Montreal.
Just like Alex Grilanc, one of the things that struck Dorian Verdier when he arrived in Montreal was the quantity of objects of all kinds found on the streets. In the process, he became interested in street art (street art) which abounds in Montreal.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Dorian Verdier, founder of the L’Original gallery
Montreal is a real open-air museum. Me, in my small town, I had never seen that.
Dorian Verdier, founder of the L’Original gallery
He is also shocked to see that artists “give so much and do not earn a living”.
The young man then begins to organize events where street artists, often a little broke, perform on objects brought by the public. The success is instantaneous, and quickly, the idea is essential: a gallery is needed as a showcase. The Original was born.
Fast and creative
During the passage of Press at the gallery on rue Saint-Paul, Alex Grilanc was working on a floor lamp found in the street by Dorian Verdier. How does he feel on the eve of an improvisation session that will take place over several days? “I am excited by the challenge, I love to improvise,” he says. “Alex is very good, he paints extremely quickly and he is very creative,” adds Mr. Verdier.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Alex Grilanc at work
Alex Grilanc says he does not regret his choice to come to live in Montreal. As he prepared to leave Sydney, Australia, he hesitated between Toronto and Vancouver as a home. It was a friend who recommended the Quebec metropolis to him. “I don’t regret my choice, I even married a Quebecer! ”
The artist, who is inspired by the shortcomings of the consumer society, was however surprised by certain practices. The day of 1er July, when thousands of people are moving at the same time, is one of them.
1er July is a good day to find out what people have. So many things are being taken out on the street. I even picked up clothes that I still wear.
Alex Grilanc, artist
The holidays are not the 1ster July, but Alex Grilanc and the L’Original gallery invite the public to imagine a second life for an object that could otherwise end up in the trash. Who knows, the result might convince you to think twice about getting rid of your old stuff …
The “Merry Capitalismas” event is held at the L’Original gallery, at 163, rue Saint-Paul Ouest, from December 16 to 21.