The Latin-American immigrant experience front and center through art
As you set foot into the Salle de diffusion de Parc-Extension in the William-Hingston Centre, a visually stimulating backdrop of photos, sculpture and painting is accompanied by a developed and immersing soundscape playing on the common yet often forgotten themes and human experience of many Montrealers.
The 12th edition of the LatinArte Festival continues to attract many visitors at both its William-Hingston and Maison de la culture Claude-Léveillée locations. The art exhibition, running since Sept. 1, showcases the work of Montreal-based artists of Latin-American origin.
Curated by Mariza Rosales Argonza, the art festival presents the work of multidisciplinary artists including María Hoyos, Martín Rodríguez, Victor Vargas, Isabella Salas, Laura Acosta, Santiago Tavera, Marie-Denise Douyon and Omar Bernal.
“For the 2021 edition, under the title “Voices of the Americas”, the objective of the LatinArte festival is to make the voices of diverse Latin Americans resonate, bringing forward experiences and stories as narratives,” read a statement.
Flux acoustiques
Flux acoustiques, the exhibit currently in place at the William-Hingston Centre, is unique in its own right. Showcasing the work of four local artists with Latin-American roots, it approaches themes of migration, colonialism and identity.
Mariza Rosales Argonza has worked as artistic director at the LatinArte foundation for the past 5 years and is in charge of the visual art exhibitions. She said that both exhibitions were designed to highlight the lived experiences of immigrants from across the Americas.
“We really wanted to stay on the territory of Villeray—Saint-Michel—Parc-Extension because there is beautiful diversity here and because the Latin-American community is anchored to this neighbourhood,” said Argonza as she spoke of the importance of holding the twin exhibitions in the borough.
“This year the LatineArte festival has as a theme ‘the voice of the Americas’, the voice of the diversity of the Americas,” added Argonza, explaining that “slowly there a re new voices growing and changing in the public space that will look into very diverse issues.”
Argonza further explained that Flux acoustiques aims to address socio-artistic issues through sound and image. “It explores experiences that aren’t well-represented or brought forward in media or general public discussion with regards to immigration mobility,” she added.
Pullquote: “The objective of the LatinArte festival is to make the voices of diverse Latin Americans resonate, putting forward experiences and stories as narratives,”
Migrant workers
One of the issues approached through the art exhibition is that of seasonal migrant workers from Latin America, who often come on temporary visas to work as labourers on farms and in agricultural processing.
“They aren’t really immigrants,” explained Argonza, adding that “it’s more of a job-market orientation than migration as we usually recognize it.” This seldom talked-of experience is approached through a new lens in the exhibition, using image and sound.
Victor Vargas, the artist behind Postales digitales, has for years been working with migrant workers throughout Québec. His art installation takes a visual approach by photographing these workers both alone and with their families, while also offering a video medium.
Vargas printed QR codes onto canvas using natural dyes made from the fruits and vegetables these workers pick. Guests can then scan these QR codes and dive deeper into the experiences of these people.
“He recounts different paths and experiences of workers and explores the impacts in the personal lives of the workers and what happens with their families and the distance,” explained Argonza.
Sound and objects
The exhibition also includes the multidisciplinary works of three other artists including María Hoyos, Martín Rodríguez and Omar Bernal.
In Search of Aztlan, a radiophonic installation by artist Martín Rodríguez, explores the artist’s chicanx origins, having grown up ethnically Mexican in the southern United States. He used artisanally crafted radio antennas resembling the Ojo de Dios of the Huichol indigenous people to capture and record radio signals around border areas before playing them back with video footage. Rodriguez hopes to demonstrate the fluidity of identity while literally “showing the invisible,” through an audio medium.
María Hoyos’s work questions the conditions of sugar cane workers by referring to the material and its byproducts themselves. “She creates her work using sugar,” said Argonza, explaining that her paintings and sculptures used coloured sugar and candy to explore the reality of its workers.
Omar Bernal’s works mainly with visual art and murals and can be seen on the windows of the library itself. Bernal’s artwork explores the organic world and territory of Mexico through large a vivid visual art.
Complex narratives
“These narratives reflect the complexity of the impacts of globalization, human flows and geopolitical dynamics. They test the notion of territory as a symbolic place charged with their personal and collective experiences,” explained the foundation of the art installations.
The art exhibition runs until Oct. 31 and is open to the public and free of charge. The Salle de diffusion de Parc-Extension is open Wednesday to Sunday on a varying schedule.
