Hybrid Event | Trance, Dance, and Surrealism: Fran莽oise Sullivan & Les Automatistes in World War II-era Montr茅al
La version fran莽aise suit
Join the 平特五不中 Libraries, the Department of Art History and Communication Studies, and the CIAC (Centre international d鈥檃rt contemporain de Montr茅al ) for a talk by special guest Abigail Susik celebrating the creative life and work of artist and dancer听Fran莽oise Sullivan.
Toward the end of 1941, and in the midst of World War II, a group of art school students from the 脡cole des beaux-arts in Montr茅al gathered in the studio of painter and drawing teacher Paul-脡mile 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 Fran莽oise Sullivan, who went on to become one of the key members of the group that formed that night in Borduas鈥檚 studio, a network of artists that eventually came to be known as the Automatist movement (1941-48).
Although 鈥楲es Automatistes鈥� were profoundly influenced by surrealism, they also sought to distinguish themselves from the Surrealist Movement and 鈥済o further,鈥� according to Sullivan, than any of the prior avant-garde experiments. This lecture will consider Fran莽oise Sullivan鈥檚 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 Sullivan鈥檚 work in relation to relevant examples of surrealist dance and performance by H茅l猫ne 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 surr茅alisme听:听Fran莽oise听Sullivan et les Automatistes dans le Montr茅al de la Seconde Guerre mondiale
Joignez-vous 脿 l'茅quipe des biblioth猫ques de l'Universit茅 平特五不中, au D茅partement d鈥檋istoire de l鈥檃rt et d鈥櫭﹖udes en communication et au Centre international d鈥檃rt contemporain de Montr茅al (CIAC) 脿 l鈥檕ccasion d鈥檜ne conf茅rence que donnera 础产颈驳补颈濒听厂耻蝉颈办, invit茅e sp茅ciale qui c茅l猫bre la vie cr茅ative et le travail de l鈥檃rtiste et danseuse Fran莽oise听Sullivan.
Vers la fin de 1941, et au c艙ur de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, un groupe d鈥櫭﹖udiants de l鈥櫭塩ole des beaux-arts de Montr茅al se r茅unit dans le studio du peintre et professeur de dessin Paul-脡mile听Borduas. Les 茅tudiants tiennent 脿 discuter avec lui de la sc猫ne des beaux-arts au Qu茅bec et l鈥檈ntendre leur donner des nouvelles du mouvement surr茅aliste international et de l鈥檈xil de nombre d鈥檃rtistes de ce mouvement de Vichy, en France. Parmi eux, Fran莽oise听Sullivan, artiste et danseuse, qui devient un des membres essentiels du groupe form茅 ce soir-l脿 dans le studio de Borduas, soit un r茅seau d鈥檃rtistes connus sous le nom de 芦听mouvement automatiste听禄 (de 1941 脿 1948).
Si le surr茅alisme influence profond茅ment les Automatistes, selon Fran莽oise听Sullivan, les artistes cherchent par ailleurs 脿 se distinguer du mouvement surr茅aliste et 脿 芦听aller plus loin听禄 que toute exp茅rience avant-gardiste pr茅c茅dente. La conf茅rence couvrira la production artistique de Fran莽oise听Sullivan qui s鈥櫭﹖ale sur des d茅cennies 脿 la lumi猫re de l鈥檋istoire du mouvement surr茅aliste et s鈥檃ttachera 脿 la relation entre son travail en danse et l鈥檃utomatisme psychique surr茅aliste, l鈥檌nt茅r锚t surr茅aliste au cours des transes et le sabotage surr茅aliste de l鈥櫭﹖at d鈥檈sprit productiviste du capitalisme. Au fil des d茅couvertes qu鈥檈lle a faites derni猫rement 脿 l鈥檕ccasion d鈥檜ne longue entrevue que lui a accord茅e Fran莽oise听Sullivan, l鈥檋istorienne de l鈥檃rt 础产颈驳补颈濒听厂耻蝉颈办 abordera l鈥櫯搖vre de l鈥檃rtiste en lien avec des exemples pertinents de danse et de performances surr茅alistes d鈥橦茅l猫ne听Vanel, d鈥橝lice听Farley et de Meret听Oppenheim. Comment Fran莽oise听Sullivan a-t-elle tir茅 parti des le莽ons de Borduas et de son int茅r锚t pour le surr茅alisme tout en ouvrant de nouvelles voies qui s鈥櫭ヽartent de l鈥檋istoire de la danse et des performances surr茅alistes pour d茅boucher sur un m茅dium d鈥檈xpression unique?
Il s鈥檃git d鈥檜ne activit茅 hybride 脿 laquelle les int茅ress茅s peuvent participer en ligne s鈥檌ls le demandent.听 La conf茅rence se d茅roulera en anglais.
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脌 propos de la conf茅renci猫re
Les vastes recherches en histoire de l鈥檃rt moderne et contemporain et en culture visuelle d鈥櫶齪ortent sur l鈥檌ntersection du surr茅alisme international et des cultures de protestation contre l鈥檃utorit茅. On lui doit听,听听听 (Eberhardt Press, 2023), qu鈥檈lle a 茅dit茅, et les volumes听听听et听听听qu鈥檈lle a co-茅dit茅s. Outre ses travaux qui ont 茅t茅 publi茅s dans le听New听York听Times,听le听Washington听Post听et le听Los听Angeles听Review听of听Books, elle a contribu茅 脿 de nombreux essais sur l鈥檋istoire de l鈥檃vant-garde, dont听Surrealism Beyond Borders听(Metropolitan Museum of Art; Tate Modern, 2021). Mme听Susik figure parmi les membres fondateurs de l鈥橧nternational Society for the Study of Surrealism et elle est professeure agr茅g茅e d鈥檋istoire de l鈥檃rt 脿 l鈥橴niversit茅 Willamette.
Thanks | Remerciements
La Conf茅rence d鈥橝bigail Susik est pr茅sent茅e et rendue possible gr芒ce 脿 la collaboration et au financement du Centre international d鈥檃rt contemporain de Montr茅al et de l鈥橴niversit茅 平特五不中 via le D茅partement d鈥檋istoire de l鈥檃rt et d鈥櫭﹖udes en communication, la Collection d鈥檃rts visuels, la Biblioth猫que de l鈥檜niversit茅 平特五不中 et la Facult茅 de Droit/Maison Ross o霉 est donn茅e la conf茅rence.
This event is presented and made possible by the collaboration and support of the Centre International d鈥檃rt contemporain de Montr茅al and 平特五不中. Support from the Department of Art History & Communication Studies, the 平特五不中 Visual Arts Collection and the 平特五不中 Library as well as the 平特五不中 Faculty of Law and Ross House, where the event is taking place.
