Caroline Monnet | R Value
2020 | CAROLINE MONNET
R VALUE
MONTREAL
Feb 20 - July 1
Take it all back, 2019, Embroidery on Tyvek, 48″ x 36″
R VALUE
Feb 20 - Apr 4, 2020
Opening: Feb 20, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
For years, the housing situation in indigenous communities has remained grievously unchanged. In northern and remote regions, where winter conditions are harsh, construction materials can be scarce and expensive, leading to homes built in violation of Canadian building codes. Financing earmarked for construction is cannibalized for repair and upkeep, while the standardization of building excludes residents and local councils from the decision-making process. The result is generic housing, unattuned to its environment and bearing no resemblance to traditional indigenous dwellings.
Caroline Monnet’s recent body of work grapples with colonialism’s impact, updating outdated systems with indigenous methodologies. Using contemporary building materials, and incorporating patterns transmitted across generations, Monnet creates hybrid objects respectful of tradition and alert to change. Resembling city maps and bar codes as much as they do traditional weaving and beading, the patterns she prints on, weaves into, or cuts from insulation of various types blends the traditional and the new, offering a glimpse back and a path forward.
A multidisciplinary artist from Outaouais, Quebec, Monnet has presented films at TIFF, Sundance and Cannes. Her work resides in several prestigious collections, including that of the National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa), the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal (Montreal), Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (Quebec City), and in 2019 she was invited to participate in both the 2019 Whitney Biennial (New York) and the Toronto Biennial of Art. Monnet is currently completing Bootlegger, her first feature-length film.