Guy Sioui Durand Tsei8ei 8enho8en Reflecting on Indigenous Art Through Action
Considering the many cultural and artistic events of his First Nations community, the Huron-Wendat of Wendake, that have taken place in recent years (2008-2017) as indicative of a fervent excitement throughout the reserves of Kébeq (and Kanata), Guy Sioui Durand will offer a new synthesis of the evolution of artistic activities (1967–2017) in Hochelaga/Montreal—which is celebrating its 375th anniversary while Canada celebrates its 150th. Relying on readings and special guests during the seminar* prior to the public talk, he will put forward two paths of development of Indigenous imagination and art.
Talk on March 25: “Manifesto on Savaging Savages and Re-establishing Relations Through Art”
* Participants need to have read the following texts before meeting on March 23:
- Guy Sioui Durand, “L’Onderha,” Inter Art Actuel 122 (2016): 4–19.
- Pricile De Lacroix, Exposer, Diffuser, Faire entendre sa voix. Présence de l’art contemporain autochtone au Québec entre 1967 et 2013, Master thesis (UQAM, 2016), excerpts.
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
A Huron-Wendat, Guy Sioui Durand is a sociologist (PhD), theorist, independent curator, and art critic. As a public speaker, his oratory performances express First Nations orality. His book L’art comme alternative. Réseaux et pratiques d’art parallèle au Québec (1997) is a key reference in the field. He has also published Riopelle Indianité (2003) and l’Esprit des Objets (2013) and has contributed to three issues on the evolution of Indigenous art in Kébeq and Kanata: Amérindie (Esse 2002), Indiens, Indians, Indios (Inter 2010), Affirmation Autochtone (Inter 2016). In 2016–2017, he was co-curator of the exhibition Mirror of a People: The Work and the Legacy of Zacharie Vincent (Huro-Wendat Museum and Museum of the Abenakis). In 2016, he curated Wâpou’och i’skwa’och/Ie’io: kas / La Puissance du regard des Femmes (Maison de la Culture Frontenac) and Affirmations Autochtones (Cégep du Vieux-Montréal). Sioui Durand teaches an unique course on Indigenous art at Kiuna Institution, which offers post-secondary education for First Nations. He is president of Éditions Intervention and a member of Canada’s Aboriginal Curatorial Collective (ACC).