Antenna

Embodied Spaces grew out of the desire to explore the relationship between the artist and the public in different areas of the PHI Centre. It’s a creative opportunity for the local community of performance artists. Any artist whose practice is located within the wide spectrum of performative disciplines and whose work depends on the presence of an audience to bring it to life was invited to submit a project in view of presenting it to our viewers, and even shaping it in the process. 

The series is driven by the richness of our local creative community, which allows us to present a very diverse program each season. The first Embodies Spaces events gave us the pleasure of showcasing the talents of Andréanne Leclerc / Nadère arts vivants, Groupe eXplo*, Winnie Superhova, Sara Harton and Lila-Mae Talbot, Marcella França, Catherine Béland Desjardins and LA TRESSE, who work in performative installation, interdisciplinarity, and dance, among others. 

The series seeks to engage with viewers in unexpected ways because performance art opens invisible doors to intimacy, vulnerability, and contemplation. To make the most of the spontaneity of the moment to light those creative sparks. To meet the audience with a willingness to nourish the performance and experience moments of collective grace. 

*Founded by and for Montréal’s emerging cultural artists, and developed through Labos eXplo, the Group is both a platform and a springboard for emerging visual and performance artists in Québec.

Due to their fluid nature and their ability to occupy our spaces, the performances in Embodied Spaces strengthen our programming as a whole, extending beyond the galleries and into the PHI Centre’s other areas. It’s become a way to illustrate the development of not only contemporary storytelling within our own activities, but also the intrinsic practices of artists who present their projects here.

“Lila-Mae and I … were compelled by the possibility of pursuing research into our characters’ identities. By immersing and investing ourselves in a completely new space with new conditions, we had so much fun discovering the endless nuances of these two headless creatures.”

– Sara Harton, on their show [Autotomy], currently in development.

“I was really inspired by [Embodied Spaces] … and I quickly imagined the concept of [PVA Glue Me, 2024]. I thought it could be a very simple action, something bodily, banal, and absurd. The apparent simplicity of [PVA Glue Me, 2024] can mask its underlying complexity and emotional depth.”

– Tess Martens, on the birth of her project.

“Embodied Spaces is an opportunity for the performance art community to explore the relationship between artist and audience in the [PHI Centre’s] public spaces. Performance art brings people together by creating direct engagement with audiences and by encouraging interdisciplinary dialogue.”

– Phoebe Greenberg, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of PHI.