An exhibition of works by three Swiss artists who work with video, photo, music and performance.

There is a connection between geography and imagination. As maps are pure abstraction, they leave space for fantasy. Often, when we are outside in nature, there is an awareness of co-existence; various levels and zones are drifting and mixing. Like in a dream or in art where objects or elements are assembled although they do not belong together.
Muda Mathis & Sus Zwick show a selection of works including Sounding postcard (single channel video) where the artists are crossing landscapes acrobatically perceiving what surrounds them and react from within; Transformation (2 channel video installation), by declaiming a poem about sex and seasons the two authors are exposed to intense cineastic special effects, terms like nature and sex will be conglomerated at the triggerpoints of the romantic friction; Walk versions, a series of photographs; and, First communion, colour prints (128 x 89,5 cm). Naegelin's work Frostballad is a videosong about a journey and about longing. It's about the fullfilling of a strong wish and the oscilliation between expectation/imagination and reality. About being exposed to spectacular nature, frosty winds and a strange language.

Muda Mathis lives and works in Bâle. She is an artist who works with video, performance and music. She studied in visual arts in Zürich and Bâle. Her installations and videos are presented on an international scale. Her videos are shown in many festivals accross the world. She has won many prizes for her video work, such as the Feminale Prize in Cologne, for her video Japsen produced with Pippilotti Rist (1988). She is the founding member of the group Les Reines Prochaines and a member of the VIA collective (AudioVideoKunst). Muda Mathis is a professor of media arts at the Hochschule für Gestaltung und Kunst in Bâle. She received a grant for the CALQ's Christophe Merian Stiftung Studio in Montréal in 2003.

Sus Zwick lives and works in Bâle. She studied in pedagogy and visual arts in Bâle. She is the founding member of the VIA collective (AudioVideoKunst), founded in 1988. She has been a member Les Reines Prochaines since 1991. A video and performance artist, she has produced videos, installations and documentary works. In 1987, she won the Festival Video de Bâle prize for her documentary Der Rest ist Risiko.  She frequently gives media workshops. Her video installations have been exhibited in different museums and galeries. Since 1996, she works in collaboration with Muda Mathis. She received a grant for the CALQ's Christophe Merian Stiftung Studio in Montréal in 2003.

Barbara Naegelin lives and works in Bâle. She studied in visual arts in Lucerne, and did a Masters in media arts in Bâle. She is a video and performance artist. She gets involved in feminist and lesbian movements and works in various artistic projects. She is the founding member of Butch et Baumann, a video performance  and musical collective and a member of Les Reines Prochaines since 1998. She makes videos and video installations. Her videos have been presented in many festivals around the world.  She is a member of the VIA collective (AudioVideoKunst) in Bâle since 2002.  She won the TCP award (2002) and the Bourse artistique de la ville de  Lucerne (2003). She came to the CALQ's Christophe Merian Stiftung Studio in Montréal in 2004.

Les Reines Prochaines was founded in 1987. Pioneers in feminist performance, they have played in France, Germany, Slovakia, in the Tcheck Republic, Norway, Danemark, Italy, Austria, Slovenia and Poland. They have recorded over 5 cds, multiples performances and videoclips. The avant-garde and visionnary approach has made Les Reines Prochaines an unavoidable project in contemporary feminist culture. Among the members: Teresa Alonso 87 - 89, Regina Florida Schmid 87- 91, Pipilottti Rist 88-94, Gabi Streiff seit 91-96, Sibylle Hauert 94 - 99. In 2005 : Muda Mathis, Sus Zwick, Michèle Fuchs, Fränzi Madörin, Barbara Naegelin and Tina Z'Rotz.
This evening is presented by La Centrale &  Groupe Intervention Vidéo (GIV).

For the first time in North America, the cult Swiss-German favourites Les Reines Prochaines will be presenting their latest performance piece Halluzination in Canada, in March 2005.
The musical performance troupe Les Reines Prochaines was established in 1987 by several artists, among them Pipilotti Rist and Muda Mathis.  Pioneers of Swiss feminist performance, the collective works of Les Reines Prochaines  have been revered in several European countries.  They have recorded over five original albums and produced multiple videos.
Their last performance piece Halluzination was a huge success in Europe with stops in Spain, Germany, Austria, France, and Switzerland, before being presented in Québec, Montréal and Ottawa.
This project has been made possible with the help of Pro Helvetia, la Fondation Suisa pour la musique, Studio 303, Galerie La Centrale, Groupe Intervention Vidéo (GIV), La Bande vidéo, Saw Gallery, The Swiss Consulat General in Montreal, GeoLogistics, Omya and Europack.  We are proud to present Halluzination with one solo exhibition in Montréal and two artist talk evenings in Montréal and Québec.  Artists Muda Mathis, Sus Zwick, Michèle Fuchs, Fränzi Madörin, Barbara Naegelin and Tina Z'Rotz, who make up the group Les Reines Prochaines will all be in attendance.


Tour Dates March 2005

Concerts
March 17, 2005 at Galerie Rouje in Québec (in partnership with La Bande Vidéo)
March 19-20, 2005 at Sala Rossa in Montréal (in partnership with Studio 303)
March 24, 2005 at Club Saw in Ottawa (in partnership with Saw Gallery)

Art Exhibition by Muda Mathis, Sus Zwick and Barbara Naegelin
March 11, 2005 - Opening of the exhibition La Géographie transparente
March 11 - April 17, 2005 - Exhibition at Galerie La Centrale in Montréal

Artist Talk - Evenings
March 16, 2005 at complexe Méduse in Québec (in partnership with La Bande Vidéo)
March 23, 2005 at Galerie La Centrale in Montréal (in partnership with GIV)
Infos : Chantal Molleur (514) 527-1407 - molleur@cam.org - www.reinesprochaines.ch

many thanks to our artists, members, public, the Conseil des arts et lettres du Québec, the Canada Council for the Arts, the Conseil des arts de Montréal, the Fonds de stabilisation et de consolidation des arts et de la culture du Québec and to Brasseries GMT.