Pierre-François Ouellette art contemporain

"In this series of drawings, videos, and sculptures, a juxtaposition of present and past sheds light on women's timeless struggles for freedom. 

The Amazons depicted in ancient bas-reliefs, are interpreted by historians as representations of the "Persians" opposing the Greeks. They are thus designated as the Others: the enemies, the barbarians, the weak. I draw a parallel between these antique figures and Iranian women today, whose struggle for freedom is expressed through the movement of their bodies in public space, by dancing and performing athletic gestures. Their weapons are their phones, which capture and disseminate these actions on social media, creating new representations and new meanings of courage and strength in everyday life.

 I would like to thank Danielle Lysaught and Paul Hamelin for the year-long residency that marked the beginning of this project in Montreal, the one-month residency at La Napoule, Jean-Philippe Thibault, my everyday ally, and my friends Jean-François Gauthier and Maxime Bruneau for their impeccable technical support." - LZ

This project has received support from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and the Canada Council for the Arts, to whom the artist extends her warmest thanks.