Manif d'art 10 – The Québec City Biennial

19 February - 24 April 2022

34 locations across Québec, Canada

Artistic Director: Claude Bélanger

Illusions are Real

Finally back after an year’s delay, the 10th edition of Manif d'art – The Québec City Biennial, produced in collaboration with the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (MNBAQ), will take place from February 19 to April 24, 2022, in 34 locations across Quebec City.

The theme of the event is Illusions are Real. Approximately 100 international, Canadian and Quebecois artists will present their trompe-l’oeil works, sleight-of-hand tricks, and diversion tactics in exhibitions that will stun and surprise. Over the nine weeks of the event, multiple indoor and outdoor locations will provide settings for dozens of works, each proposing a unique artistic practice.

The works gathered under Illusions are Real by guest curator Steven Matijcio, Director and Chief Curator of the Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston, pull the curtain back on illusions and magic, not to mention our everyday lives and political realities. Visitors will be captivated by fascinating activities and exhibitions, and by the apparently magical, supernatural, and irrational aspects of many never-before-seen works.

more about the theme

The theme of Manif d'art 10 is inspired by Magic Realism, an artistic movement seeking the spontaneous manifestation of seemingly magical, supernatural or irrational elements that arise in the realm of reality. The biennial will be an opportunity to explore artistic practices making use of the trompe-l’œil, strategies of misdirection and sleight of hand as vehicles. This reflection on illusions will also reassess many sociopolitical issues steeped in our reality. By defamiliarizing the everyday, the selected artworks will highlight and reveal the illusory mechanisms invading our contemporary world, from artificial flavours to misinformation campaigns.

"We’ve always had this hierarchy where reality was seen as somehow superior to illusion. The distinction doesn’t seem as clear now. In a society which welcomes artifice with open arms, where we give in to the wonderment and pleasure of being constantly deceived and misdirected, what are the political ramifications? The curatorial proposal is twofold: the works of the biennial will unveil the workings of illusion from a critical perspective, just as they will revel in the magic that these illusions can inspire in our everyday lives," says Steven Matijcio, Curator of Manif d'art 10.

Photos of the exhibition

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Exhibitions and Projects

Public Art
Manif d'art – The Quebec City Biennial will offer visual art novices, fans, and specialists a dozen works of public art, which will be presented at Place D'Youville, Le Diamant theatre, Saint-Roch church square, the Saint-Jean-Baptiste neighbourhood, Place Ste-Foy, the Fortifications of Québec National Historic Site, and the Cartier-Brébeuf National Historic Site. Manif d'art 10 will also meet audiences where they live, through its virtual gallery at manifdart.org, starting on February 19, 2022, and reach out to visitors through their ears, by presenting an invisible sound piece by artist Jeanette Andrews.
Artists, Public Art

Central Exhibition
At the heart of this 10th edition is the central exhibition of approximately 100 works at the Pavillon Pierre Lassonde of the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec. For the 66 days of Manif d'art 10 – The Quebec City Biennial, visitors will be impressed by Matijcio’s expert curatorial choices of pieces by 20 artists from 5 countries.
Artists, Central Exhibition

Collective Exhibition
L'Œil de poisson, an artist-run center which supports experimental, innovative and daring approaches by established and emerging artists and curators, presents a collective exhibition as part of Manif d'art 10.
Artists, Collective Exhibition

Solo Shows
This unique edition, which marks the 20th anniversary of the Biennial, is a rare opportunity for all members of the Quebec City arts community to gather and show their work on the international stage. No fewer than 40 organizations are working together to celebrate the 10th Quebec City Biennial by organizing contemporary art events around an evocative theme. A few of the key exhibition sites contributing to the varied programming are VU, Œil de Poisson, Grand Théâtre de Québec, Maison de la littérature, and the Huron-Wendat Museum.
Artists & Venues

Organizer, contact:

Manif d'art
600, côte d'Abraham
Québec (Québec) G1R 1A1
Canada
Website | Email

General and artistic direction:
Claude Bélanger

Press contact:
Emmanuelle Herbert
Directrice des communications et du marketing
communications(at)manifdart.org

Connect with Manif d'art:
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From press information.
© Cover image on top: Jean-Pierre Gauthier, La pelle du printemps, 2022. Photo: Charles Frédérick-Ouellette. Courtesy of Manif d'art 10

Manif d'art 2022