The Arts

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Sound sculpture kicks off WAG, National Gallery deal

By: Carolin Vesely

Posted: 02/22/2013 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Janet Cardiff�s Forty-Part Motet.

THE artist said she "wanted to be able to climb inside the music."

And that's pretty much what visitors will feel when they're standing in the middle of Janet Cardiff's famous sound sculpture at the Winnipeg Art Gallery.

Cardiff's Forty-Part Motet, a 14-minute reworking of Spem in Alium, a Renaissance choral work by Thomas Tallis, kicks off the WAG's three-year partnership with the National Gallery of Canada. It runs until April 21.

The sound installation features 40 separately recorded choir voices played back through 40 speakers on black stands -- grouped in eight mini-choirs of five voices each -- arranged in an oval in an otherwise empty gallery.

"This is a work everyone has to experience once in their lives. It's very moving; people typically cry," says Marc Mayer, NGC director and CEO, who was in town recently for the official launch of the NGC@WAG program.

Under the renewable three-year deal, the two institutions will present exhibitions showcasing works from the Ottawa gallery's permanent collection -- both Canadian and international -- in a dedicated space called The National Gallery of Canada at the Winnipeg Art Gallery.

The partnership coincides with 2013 being the WAG's centennial.

Mayer assures it won't be just a satellite of the national gallery. "It's a real partnership, it's a new model," he says.

"Instead of just sending a bunch of exhibition ideas across the country, we're planning a customized program. In the process, we get to know the audience here. Winnipeg has its own visual arts culture."

This is the NGC's third such partnership with other Canadian galleries. It signed on with the Art Gallery of Alberta in Edmonton in 2009 and with the Museum of Contemporary Art in Toronto in 2010.

Other NGC pieces to be exhibited at the WAG this year include an installation of more than 20 sculptures and drawings by French-American artist Louise Bourgeois and The Clock, New York-based sound and video artist Christian Marclay's 24-hour ode to time and cinema.

Bourgeois, who died in 2010 at 98, is best known in Ottawa for her bronze spider statue, Maman, which is more than nine metres tall and greets visitors on the NGC's plaza. Her works will be at NGC@WAG from May to September.

The Clock, which is composed of thousands of time-referencing movie clips compiled into a 24-hour, single-channel, real-time video, will run from September to November.

carolin.vesely@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 22, 2013 D3

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More The Arts

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is be a Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscriber to join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

Have Your Say

Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press print or e-edition subscribers only. why?

Have Your Say

Comments are open to Winnipeg Free Press Subscribers only. why?

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.