La Centrale galerie Powerhouse is proud to present the window exhibition Dialogues by the artist Sonia Reboul, from December 17, 2021 to January 23, 2022. A meet with the artist will be held at La Centrale on Saturday, December 18 from 12:00 to 2:00 pm.

Dialogues results from the exploration of traditional weaving techniques with thin metal warps. The work is made with second-hand costume jewelry that has undergone a slow and delicate transformation that resembles a ritual tribute to the people who wore them: first washed and dried carefully, they are then dismantled to remove the links, which are then reassembled into long chains classified by size and color. These chains are then woven to create samples.

These chains, which have already had a first life, bear witness to a multitude of personal stories. Each of these samples, in its singularity, is the result of an intimate dialogue between the materials, which could refer to the diversity of the relationships we have with each other. At the same time flexible and rigid, solid and fragile, precious and banal, the slippery, difficult to work with, almost elusive material that is the chain, reminds us of the complexity of our relationships with others.

Beyond the ornament, Dialogues also evokes an armour of chain mail, an allegory of social interactions in an era of confinement: a utopian solidarity desired between each of us, as well as a tendency to withdraw into ourselves. The work, using jewels produced at lower cost without concern for social and ecological responsibility, consumed and then forgotten or quickly thrown away, also questions, by extension, the quality of these human relationships.

Dialogues is also informed by a social and local approach since the materials come from the organization Le Chaînon, whose mission since 1932 is to help women in difficulty: in total, more than $400 worth of jewelry was purchased from the association.

(Author: Sonia Reboul)

Sonia Reboul is a French-Canadian artist living in Tiohtià:ke/ Montreal. For 12 years, she developed an artistic body of work in a self-taught manner in addition to a career in communications. The illness and death of her father marked a turning point in her career, which she now considers only from a creative point of view: since September 2019, she has been pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Visual Arts at Concordia University in order to perfect her skills. Her creations, meticulous and delicate, are imbued with poetry and strangeness. With a touch of nostalgia, they invite us to take another look at the world and to adopt a contemplative state. More information

This project was supported by the Fine Arts Student Alliance Grant from Concordia University

Photo credit : Sonia Reboul, Dialogues, 2021, non-precious metals (copper, nickel, steel, stainless steel, silver, zircon, brass)