“The Art of Joy,” which expresses a hope, a desire, is the banner under which art will be created and displayed throughout Quebec City during Manif d’art 8. The event will bring together artists, artworks and the general public in a variety of settings, including artist-run centres, the Pavillon Pierre-Lassonde of the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, and numerous public spaces. Connected to their surroundings, the works invite us to look, smile, question and doubt.

Once again this year, we are inviting artists to share their views, thoughts and feelings about the state of the world. United by a belief and trust in the power and necessity of art, in its powers of resistance that underlie the human condition and bind our communities, these artists are propelling us into the future. A future which, despite the current upheavals, we hope will be radiant.

Over forty Quebec, Canadian and international artists answered our call, proposing new and surprising forms and associations in the visual arts: painting, sculpture, installation, film and much more. Each in their own way—whether light of touch, lucid, disquieting, vindictive, off-beat or poetic—they interpret the concept of joy.

These visual encounters are meant to reverberate inside each one of us, embodying a kind of “universal intimacy.” Each of the works reflects the research, formal resolutions and personal worlds of each artist, drawing us in through their unique language. They all seek to reach us, affect us, recognize us. Art is the only universal language, the only language able to unite us, despite our differences.

“The Art of Joy” is not necessarily joyful. Joy is a battle, a shield against violence, which each individual must strive to cultivate and cherish.

(From press information)
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