Illusions Are Real
Manif d’art 10: The Quebec City Biennial
February 19–April 24, 2022
A mind-bending program of art
Finally back after an unwelcome year’s delay, the 10th edition of Manif d’art 10 — The Quebec City Biennial, produced in collaboration with the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (MNBAQ), will take place from February 19 to April 24, 2022, in 34 locations across Quebec City. The theme of the event is Illusions are Real. Approximately 100 international, Canadian and Quebecois artists will present their trompe-l’oeil works, sleight-of-hand tricks, and diversion tactics in exhibitions that will stun and surprise. Over the nine weeks of the event, multiple indoor and outdoor locations will provide settings for dozens of works, each proposing a unique artistic practice.
The works gathered under the theme Illusions are Real by guest curator Steven Matijcio, Director and Chief Curator of the Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston, pull the curtain back on illusions and magic, not to mention our everyday lives and political realities. Visitors will be captivated by fascinating activities and exhibitions, and by the apparently magical, supernatural, and irrational aspects of many never-before-seen works.
At the heart of this 10th edition is the central exhibition of approximately 100 works at the Pavillon Pierre Lassonde of the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec. For the 66 days of Manif d’art 10 — The Quebec City Biennial, visitors will be impressed by Matijcio’s expert curatorial choices of pieces by 20 artists from 5 countries.
This unique edition, which marks the 20th anniversary of the Biennial, is a rare opportunity for all members of the Quebec City arts community to gather and show their work on the international stage. No fewer than 40 organizations are working together to celebrate the 10th Quebec City Biennial by organizing contemporary art events around an evocative theme. A few of the key exhibition sites contributing to the varied programming are VU, Œil de Poisson, Grand Théâtre de Québec, Maison de la littérature, and the Huron-Wendat Museum.
In addition, Manif d’art 10 — The Quebec City Biennial will offer visual art novices, fans, and specialists a dozen works of public art, which will be presented at Place D’Youville, Le Diamant theatre, Saint-Roch church square, the Saint-Jean-Baptiste neighbourhood, Place Ste-Foy, the Fortifications of Québec National Historic Site, and the Cartier-Brébeuf National Historic Site. Manif d’art 10 will also meet audiences where they live, through its virtual gallery at manifdart.org, starting on February 19, 2022, and reach out to visitors through their ears, by presenting an invisible sound piece by artist Jeanette Andrews.
An audioguide will make visits even more accessible and interesting to the public, and a treasure hunt will amuse big and small. And the young curators initiative, presented by Loto-Québec, will highlight up-and-coming talents destined for great things in the world of contemporary art.
In April, the 10th edition will celebrate the launch of its catalogue capturing the ephemeral magic that will enliven all of Quebec City.
Manif d’art 10 — The Quebec City Biennial, produced in collaboration with the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, also benefits from the participation of Ville de Québec, the Canada Council for the Arts, Heritage Canada, the Secrétariat à la Capitale-Nationale, the Ministère de la Culture et des Communications through a cultural development agreement between Quebec City and the government of Quebec, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, Destination Québec cité, the Ministère du Tourisme, and LG2.