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
Dieter Missiaen's preferred discipline is silent clowning, performed with derision and tenderness. Together with Els Degryse, he founded the Krak company, a circus collective that has worked in public spaces around the world. Since 2020, Dieter Missiaen has been concentrating on creating links through sincere and touching encounters.
PARTNERS
This project is made possible thanks to the financial support of the City of Quebec.
