“In general, people have the impression that the place of women in visual art is a done deal, that it is settled. The path is not paved, however,” says Mylène Lachance-Paquin, founder and director of POST-INVISIBLES, the young biennial which returns this year with a second edition, on the theme Territory/borders, with the aim of discuss issues affecting women in the visual arts. “We are an open biennial: we say figures, we say facts, we say things so that they improve,” she adds. For example, according to his calculations — because there are no official statistics — two years ago, there were 34% women among the artists represented by the member galleries of the Association of Contemporary Art Galleries, while that today, this proportion reaches 42%.
“Overall, things are much better, and that’s important,” underlines Mylène Lachance-Paquin, who is quick to temper her remarks. “There are galleries where the numbers don’t move at all. Things can really be stagnant. » With POST-INVISIBLES, she hopes to empower professionals in the field so that more efforts are made for equality. “The more we talk about it, the more people pay attention,” says the director of the biennial. For her part, Soad Carrier, director of the McBride Contemporary gallery, is surprised by the late creation of such an event in Quebec. “We had to wait all these years for Mylène to think about all that… Yet there were biennials for lots of things, but not for women,” she notes.
While McBride Contemporary is participating in POST-INVISIBLES for the first time, for the 2024 edition, Soad Carrier would like to take the opportunity to stop for a moment and take stock of the situation. “We want to look at who we work with, our ratio. Why is it like this? Are there any shortages? Bias? » she asks, while emphasizing the rich ecosystem of visual arts in Quebec. And to continue: “At Belgo, where the gallery is located, there are three directors. » For Mylène Lachance-Paquin, it is therefore essential to pay attention to institutions in order to give credibility to current artistic practices. “The museum has a role to play, because when it is interested in an artist, curiosity about her will increase. » But on this level, the museum network can certainly do better. “At the head of the four major museums in Quebec, we only find white men,” she points out. Things are moving, but very slowly.
Emerging artist Caroline Douville, whose works are currently presented at Espace Maurice as part of the exhibition Hypnos, welcomes this desire of galleries and museums to open their doors wide to women. “But when I think about my past experiences, I wonder if there was a real interest in my art, or if there wasn’t sometimes a little hypocrisy in this environment still dominated by men and that “We are not here simply to tick boxes,” she points out.
The Quebec visual arts community must therefore remain on its guard and not rest on its achievements. “This year, the CALQ [Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec] and the CAC [Conseil des arts du Canada] did not see fit to support POST-INVISIBLES, indicates Mylène Lachance-Paquin. So even if I see a real enthusiasm on the part of artists, gallery owners and curators, I think that certain institutions often have the impression that they have already done their homework… No, no and no! » The director of the biennial does not hide her frustrations with an environment that is still misogynistic and, above all, one that moves at two speeds.
The plural woman
When we talk about the place of women in the visual arts, Mylène Lachance-Paquin thinks big. “When it comes to women, I think in the broad sense, regardless of the body, because the issue lies in persistent inequities,” she explains. It is not by putting a group aside that we move forward. » For her part, Sophie Latouche, associate director of the programming component of the Pangée gallery, is pleased to observe a greater diversity of genres and identities in Quebec visual arts. “We have always been a team of women who undoubtedly share the same sensitivity with women and queer artists. I think our objective is to gain recognition for certain practices which are not heard or which are passed over in silence,” she mentions.
The filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist Caroline Monnet believes that to change forms of representation and systems, women must take more and more place in the field, in the same way as the plural identities of Quebec. “As an Indigenous woman, I have always wanted to free myself from labels, because what matters is to be respected as an artist beyond my identity,” she says. Sophie Latouche thinks, in fact, that galleries like Pangée must use their privileges and their status with a view to intersectionality and plurality of genres and discourses. “This is valid both for the artists with whom we collaborate and in our way of working. We never want to take anything for granted. » A philosophy which in eight years of existence has become the trademark of Pangea. “It contributed to our reputation in the industry. We take risks, we present ourselves abroad, we go for it, we have audacity, unlike this “quiet strength” that we often associate with women,” she concludes. The way is clear and open.