My Winnipeg

Antoine de Galbert’s foundation, La maison rouge, has launched a series of exhibitions highlighting lesser-known city art scenes. The exhibitions show not only how a territory, environment, or location can inspire artists but also how the identity of such spaces is in turn transformed through the vehicle of art. 

For the first exhibition in the cycle, we have artist and director of the Musée International des Arts Modestes in Sète, Hervé di Rosa, to thank for convincing Antoine de Galbert of the merit of Winnipeg’s artistic production.¹ 1 - The exhibition will also be presented at the MIAM in Sète and at Plug In ICA in Winnipeg (2011-2012). There seems to be renewed interest in shows based on particular art scenes, as evinced by the recent showcasing of work by Arab and Indian nations. But the strength of My Winnipeg² 2 - My Winnipeg, presented at La maison rouge in Paris, June 23 to September 25, 2011. probably lies in how it managed to bring attention to the local scene without conjuring a fixed or self-referential identity, while avoiding a hegemonic representation of the discourse on contemporary art. Focusing on a city rather than on a nation also shows that the construction of artistic identity is principally channelled through the appropriation of shared territory or spatiality. Another interesting aspect of the exhibition is its programming: the presentation of the city also serves as an inspiration to travellers. Conceived as a tourist guide, the catalogue is intriguing in itself: artist presentations intermingle with information on climate, geography, and history.