5:30 p.m.
Nothing escapes the system, not even art. Especially not art. For Joshua Schwebel, on the contrary, the art world is completely dependent on the capitalist structure and, by extension, contributes to reproducing the inequalities and crises it causes. His proposal is therefore part of a critical stance toward institutions and infrastructure, as well as a demonstration of the obvious links between art funding and extractivism—as evidenced by the example of patron Pierre Lassonde, whose fortune comes from investments in the mining industry.
During his residency in Rouyn-Noranda, Joshua first wants to meet with members of the community and then return with an exhibition rooted in the local reality, since the specificity of the context is his primary creative material. By visiting places directly impacted by the exploitation of natural resources, the artist hopes to overcome the disconnect that persists between artistic hubs and the territories that, through the dispossession of their resources, enable the existence of those hubs. Far from seeking to escape the system himself, Joshua Schwebel seeks first and foremost to provoke discussion, to produce objects of reflection that reveal the political and social mechanisms underlying the creation of the works, in an attempt to reduce the distance that separates us from this awareness.
Text by Gabrielle Izaguirré Falardeau, translated by Tourisme Rouyn-Noranda.
