The exhibition
BENCH INVASION
Invasion of the benches is an itinerant, participatory performance that fosters a sense of community in public space. A brigade of portable benches sets up daily in unexpected places in the neighborhood, inviting passers-by to sit down and simply chat. Every day at 16h, and at a new site each time, participants and their interlocutors converge on the public square and their benches come together to form a large table. The artist offers a drink to the impromptu assembly, celebrating the collective beauty of the encounter.
According to Dieter Missiaen, our society is in dire need of time and attention to cultivate presence and benevolence. We're too focused on our individual trajectories to take care of our interactions. His urban intervention on a human scale generates pleasant moments of sharing between strangers who might otherwise only have bumped into each other on the street. L'invasion des bancs combats urban loneliness and anonymity, one conversation at a time.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
DIETER MISSIAEN
La discipline de prédilection de Dieter Missiaen est la clownerie muette interprétée avec dérision et tendresse. Il a fondé avec Els Degryse la compagnie Krak, un collectif circassien ayant œuvré dans l’espace public à travers le monde. Depuis 2020, Dieter Missiaen se concentre sur la création de liens autour de rencontres sincères et touchantes.
PARTNERS
Ce projet est réalisé grâce au soutien financier de la Ville de Québec.
