Thierry Marceau

Andy Warhol frequently used images of Elvis who often played a cowboy on screen. In Saint-Tite, between line dance contests, rodeos, processions, and raffles, AW’s static presence seems awkward. He’s a stranger in a strange world, the artist, the saboteur. For the 30th anniversary of the King’s death, AW participated in Elvis Fest in Brantford, Ontario. On stage, he stopped singing halfway through. The audience applauded, out of compassion. But he remained on stage for the finale while trumpets and violins stabbed an audience already vexed by his failed attempt. Thierry Marceau mainly executes actions that divert popular icons. He chooses his characters for their costumes and the many possibilities they have to offer. Each project offers him new ground to explore, new sceneries to invest. Viewers transform into extras in unexpected tableaux and must abide by the rules of the game to appreciate an attitude that is simultaneously spectacle, humour and uneasiness.