Rafael Lozano-Hemmer

Arsenal Contemporary Art Montreal is pleased to host the internationally-acclaimed artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer for a creative residency lasting three months. The Montreal-based Mexican artist and his team of 15 developers will be exhibiting recent works and developing new ones around the themes of proximity and shared experience. Ambitious, immersive audiovisual installations will transform one of Arsenal Contemporary Art Montreal’s 18,000 sq. ft. exhibition halls.

The title Cercanía means physical proximity in Spanish but also implies intimacy and empathy. Despite its title, the exhibition is designed to respect social distancing: while some works are interactive, the visitors won’t need to touch any surfaces and will be able to keep a distance of at least 2 meters from others.

Comprising of three World premieres, three North American premieres, and six Canadian premieres, this exhibition includes a 30 m long interactive projection room, a 2,300-channel sound sculpture, a computerized shadow play, as well as a water fountain that "draws" ephemeral portraits of people with cold water vapor. Guest artists will join Lozano-Hemmer's team in developing new pieces over the course of the residency, among them are singer/songwriter Patrick Watson and philosopher Brian Massumi.

The residency is a prospect of Atmospheric Memory, the acclaimed immersive exhibition that Lozano-Hemmer premiered at the Manchester International Festival, which will be presented at Arsenal Contemporary Art Montreal in the fall of 2021.

To learn more, visit the Arsenal Contemporary Art's website.