Hybrid Event | Trance, Dance, and Surrealism: Françoise Sullivan & Les Automatistes in World War II-era Montréal
La version française suit
Join the Âé¶čAV Libraries, the Department of Art History and Communication Studies, and the CIAC (Centre international dâart contemporain de MontrĂ©al ) for a talk by special guest Abigail Susik celebrating the creative life and work of artist and dancerÌęFrançoise Sullivan.
Toward the end of 1941, and in the midst of World War II, a group of art school students from the Ăcole des beaux-arts in MontrĂ©al gathered in the studio of painter and drawing teacher Paul-Ămile Borduas. The students wanted to meet with Borduas to discuss the fine arts scene in Quebec and hear his news about the international Surrealist Movement and the exile of many surrealists from Vichy France. Among the students was the artist and dancer Françoise Sullivan, who went on to become one of the key members of the group that formed that night in Borduasâs studio, a network of artists that eventually came to be known as the Automatist movement (1941-48).
Although âLes Automatistesâ were profoundly influenced by surrealism, they also sought to distinguish themselves from the Surrealist Movement and âgo further,â according to Sullivan, than any of the prior avant-garde experiments. This lecture will consider Françoise Sullivanâs decades-spanning artistic production in light of the history of the Surrealist Movement, focusing on the relationship of her dance works to surrealist psychic automatism, the surrealist interest in trance states, and the surrealist sabotage of the productivist mindset of capitalism. Exploring research discoveries made during her recent extended interview with Sullivan, art historian Abigail Susik will consider Sullivanâs work in relation to relevant examples of surrealist dance and performance by HĂ©lĂšne Vanel, Alice Farley, and Meret Oppenheim. How did Sullivan build on the lessons of Borduas and her interest in surrealism, all the while forging new pathways that diverge away from the history of surrealist dance and performance toward a unique medium of expression?
This will be a hybrid event, with online attendance possible for those who require it. This talk will be in English.
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About the speaker
In her wide-ranging research devoted to modern and contemporary Art History and visual culture, focuses on the intersection of international surrealism with anti-authoritarian protest cultures. She is the author of editor of (Eberhardt Press, 2023), and coeditor of the volumes and . Her work has been published in the New York Times, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Review of Books, and she has contributed many essays to publications on the history of the avant-garde, including Surrealism Beyond Borders (Metropolitan Museum of Art; Tate Modern, 2021). Susik is a founding board member of the International Society for the Study of Surrealism and an Associate Professor of Art History at Willamette University.
Transes, danse et surrĂ©alismeÌę:ÌęFrançoiseÌęSullivan et les Automatistes dans le MontrĂ©al de la Seconde Guerre mondiale
Joignez-vous Ă l'Ă©quipe des bibliothĂšques de l'UniversitĂ© Âé¶čAV, au DĂ©partement dâhistoire de lâart et dâĂ©tudes en communication et au Centre international dâart contemporain de MontrĂ©al (CIAC) Ă lâoccasion dâune confĂ©rence que donnera ŽĄČúŸ±Č”ČčŸ±±ôÌ곧łÜČőŸ±°ì, invitĂ©e spĂ©ciale qui cĂ©lĂšbre la vie crĂ©ative et le travail de lâartiste et danseuse FrançoiseÌęSullivan.
Vers la fin de 1941, et au cĆur de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, un groupe dâĂ©tudiants de lâĂcole des beaux-arts de MontrĂ©al se rĂ©unit dans le studio du peintre et professeur de dessin Paul-ĂmileÌęBorduas. Les Ă©tudiants tiennent Ă discuter avec lui de la scĂšne des beaux-arts au QuĂ©bec et lâentendre leur donner des nouvelles du mouvement surrĂ©aliste international et de lâexil de nombre dâartistes de ce mouvement de Vichy, en France. Parmi eux, FrançoiseÌęSullivan, artiste et danseuse, qui devient un des membres essentiels du groupe formĂ© ce soir-lĂ dans le studio de Borduas, soit un rĂ©seau dâartistes connus sous le nom de «Ìęmouvement automatisteÌę» (de 1941 Ă 1948).
Si le surrĂ©alisme influence profondĂ©ment les Automatistes, selon FrançoiseÌęSullivan, les artistes cherchent par ailleurs Ă se distinguer du mouvement surrĂ©aliste et à «Ìęaller plus loinÌę» que toute expĂ©rience avant-gardiste prĂ©cĂ©dente. La confĂ©rence couvrira la production artistique de FrançoiseÌęSullivan qui sâĂ©tale sur des dĂ©cennies Ă la lumiĂšre de lâhistoire du mouvement surrĂ©aliste et sâattachera Ă la relation entre son travail en danse et lâautomatisme psychique surrĂ©aliste, lâintĂ©rĂȘt surrĂ©aliste au cours des transes et le sabotage surrĂ©aliste de lâĂ©tat dâesprit productiviste du capitalisme. Au fil des dĂ©couvertes quâelle a faites derniĂšrement Ă lâoccasion dâune longue entrevue que lui a accordĂ©e FrançoiseÌęSullivan, lâhistorienne de lâart ŽĄČúŸ±Č”ČčŸ±±ôÌ곧łÜČőŸ±°ì abordera lâĆuvre de lâartiste en lien avec des exemples pertinents de danse et de performances surrĂ©alistes dâHĂ©lĂšneÌęVanel, dâAliceÌęFarley et de MeretÌęOppenheim. Comment FrançoiseÌęSullivan a-t-elle tirĂ© parti des leçons de Borduas et de son intĂ©rĂȘt pour le surrĂ©alisme tout en ouvrant de nouvelles voies qui sâĂ©cartent de lâhistoire de la danse et des performances surrĂ©alistes pour dĂ©boucher sur un mĂ©dium dâexpression unique?
Il sâagit dâune activitĂ© hybride Ă laquelle les intĂ©ressĂ©s peuvent participer en ligne sâils le demandent.Ìę La confĂ©rence se dĂ©roulera en anglais.
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à propos de la conférenciÚre
Les vastes recherches en histoire de lâart moderne et contemporain et en culture visuelle dâÌęportent sur lâintersection du surrĂ©alisme international et des cultures de protestation contre lâautoritĂ©. On lui doitÌę,ÌęÌęÌę (Eberhardt Press, 2023), quâelle a Ă©ditĂ©, et les volumesÌęÌęÌęetÌęÌęÌęquâelle a co-Ă©ditĂ©s. Outre ses travaux qui ont Ă©tĂ© publiĂ©s dans leÌęNewÌęYorkÌęTimes,ÌęleÌęWashingtonÌęPostÌęet leÌęLosÌęAngelesÌęReviewÌęofÌęBooks, elle a contribuĂ© Ă de nombreux essais sur lâhistoire de lâavant-garde, dontÌęSurrealism Beyond BordersÌę(Metropolitan Museum of Art; Tate Modern, 2021). MmeÌęSusik figure parmi les membres fondateurs de lâInternational Society for the Study of Surrealism et elle est professeure agrĂ©gĂ©e dâhistoire de lâart Ă lâUniversitĂ© Willamette.
Thanks | Remerciements
La ConfĂ©rence dâAbigail Susik est prĂ©sentĂ©e et rendue possible grĂące Ă la collaboration et au financement du Centre international dâart contemporain de MontrĂ©al et de lâUniversitĂ© Âé¶čAV via le DĂ©partement dâhistoire de lâart et dâĂ©tudes en communication, la Collection dâarts visuels, la BibliothĂšque de lâuniversitĂ© Âé¶čAV et la FacultĂ© de Droit/Maison Ross oĂč est donnĂ©e la confĂ©rence.
This event is presented and made possible by the collaboration and support of the Centre International dâart contemporain de MontrĂ©al and Âé¶čAV. Support from the Department of Art History & Communication Studies, the Âé¶čAV Visual Arts Collection and the Âé¶čAV Library as well as the Âé¶čAV Faculty of Law and Ross House, where the event is taking place.