The exhibition
BIG OTHER
Big Other, Pierre&Marie's hard-hitting series, continues its Asian epic, taking root on the island of Xiju for the Matsu Biennial.
With humor and acuity, the work metamorphoses local architecture by grafting huge eyes onto it, infusing it with a presence that's both playful and unsettling. These oversized gazes awaken a feeling of being watched, oscillating between benevolence and oppression. They evoke Orwell's Big Brother while revealing our silent complicity with digital platforms, seductive interfaces that collect, predict and monetize our behavior in the age of surveillance capitalism.
The Matsu Biennial reinvents the Taiwanese islands through contemporary art. Located just 9 km from mainland China, this territory still bears the traces of its military and strategic past. In this insular context, Big Other resonates powerfully: by animating the remnants of the Cold War, Pierre&Marie's eyes question yesterday's surveillance to better illuminate that of today.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
PIERRE&MARIE
Pierre&Marie is a duo formed by Pierre Brassard and Marie-Pier Lebeau Lavoie, active since 2008 and based in Quebec City. Their work humorously reinterprets symbols of popular culture to reveal the absurdity and poetry of contemporary life. Combining wonder and gentle resistance, their practice addresses current social issues with sensitivity.
The duo has presented over thirty exhibitions in Canada, France and Taiwan, in museums, artist-run centers and galleries. Their work can be found in numerous public, private and institutional collections. Their work has been recognized by a number of awards and distinctions for its contribution to the Québec art scene.
PARTNERS
This work was originally created for the PASSAGES INSOLITES public art trail, designed by EXMURO art public and presented by Quebec City.
