Legacy  Soleil Launière (Montréal) Laila (Montréal)
03 Jul 2014 to 10 Aug 2014

Qouleur, Montreal's only 2QTPOC Festival, is back again for its third year! Along with another schedule filled with amazing programming showcasing the voices of 2-Spirited, Queer, and Trans* People of Colour, this year's Qouleur is home to an intense, month-long artist's residency. Two fabulous 2QTPOC artists, Soleil Launière and Laila, will spend the month leading up to Qouleur exploring the topic of Legacy and what that means in a 2QTPOC context.

What has been handed down to you from the past? What would you like to leave in place for others? How has our perception of queerness and race transformed over time in Montreal or elsewhere? Who are some of your past or present mentors, heroes? What are some struggles you or your community have overcome that you hope others won’t have to? What are some triumphs that you or your peers have lived through?  These are just some of the ideas Soleil Launière and Laila will be examining during their residency, and we couldn't be more excited to share the results of their hard work with all of you!

In addition to the art installation that will run the length of Qouleur from August 1st to 10th, each artist will be holding an Art Jam for 2QTPOCs to come and create art of their own. This Art Jam, held on July 10th from 7– 10 pm, is open to 2QTPOCs of all artsy skill levels, so we can explore what Legacy means to each of us in a safe and guided setting. Participation in the art jam is free of charge, with a limit of 15 to 20 participants. To reserve a place, please email qouleur.art@gmail.com

Come kick off Qouleur 2014 with our resident artists on August 1st at 7pm to celebrate their vernissage!

Keep an eye on www.qouleur.ca as well as our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/qouleur/ for updates during the residency, and to keep on top of all the latest Qouleur 2014 announcements!

For media and information, please contact Wai-Yant Li at 514-716-6912 or by email at qouleur.art@gmail.com.

 

Laila grew up encountering the different universes that make up the diversity of her country, Morocco, in this world where joy and suffering combine.

The contrasts of the emotional, political and social come together as raw material for her artistic practice. Art that is socially engaged has imposed itself as evidence much more than as choice.

Laila believes that she did not cultivate her consciousness through institutional channels of knowledge such as school or university but through her desire to discover the mysteries of the human condition in the street, in family units or through random finds in bookshops of Marrakech. She indeed favours an organic relationship with books as well as with her artistic subjects.

From Greece to Canada via Algeria and France, the exhibitions of her photographs and installations allow her to push boundaries.

 

Socially engaged Native American artist, Soleil Launière is a world traveller, an image taker, and art explorer. Her art practice is multidisciplinary; she specializes in performing arts, physical theatre and sounds. As a photographer, she loves capturing the right emotion and the right look either in portraits or live performances.

 

QOULEUR is an annual, volunteer-run 2QTPOC festival in Montreal celebrating racialized queer identities and experiences through the arts. We are a collective of artists, activists, and thinkers who identify as 2QTPOC and who want to make a difference for other 2QTPOCs in Montreal. The third annual Qouleur Festival runs from August 1st - 10th 2014, and includes a visual art exhibition, music, performance, screenings, workshops, discussions, parties and more!

Exhibitions  

Participating Artists: Soleil Launière (Montréal) Laila (Montréal)
Curator(s):
Credits: Soleil Launière, Autoportrait: Abât-nuit, 2014.