Box, 2010

Olivia Boudreau - Montreal, Canada

Video Installation

A video projection of a 12-hour long sequence that shows, in real time, a horse inside a stall. Staring at this physically and symbolically powerful beast, we become immersed in the banality of its daily life. Contained within a restrictive stall, in other words caged, the animal reveals its imprisoned isolation. Moreover, the sequence displays a temporality that challenges our own. The horse's wait reveals a relationship to the passing of time that, most of the time, we try to avoid. The animal's imposing and palpable presence within the confines of such an exiguous space confronts us with the aspects of our lives that are similarly stalled.

The horse will be there all night long, of that there is no doubt. What about the viewer, highly solicited during a night where there are so many things to see and places to go? What type of presence and attention can be given and expected on such a night? Box questions the way we inhabit time in our daily urban lives.

Olivia Boudreau is a video artist. Her work has drawn attention in several recent exhibitions, including Dazibao, Leonard and Bina Ellen Gallery and Galerie de l'UQAM. She holds a Master's degree in visual and media arts from UQAM and is currently carrying out a two years creative residency at the Darling Foundry in Montreal.

Suitable for all ages

Thank you to:
Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec