Not only does Tousignant belong to an exceptional lineage of artists, but his impressive career and original practice have had a significant impact on the Canadian art community and its history. This book examines the particular relationship that Tousignant established between his art practice and that of the exhibition. It seeks to contextualize significant works at the time of their public viewing, while providing an in-depth study of the history of exhibitions in Canada. Mona Hakim’s essay and Jérôme Delgado’s interview analyze a range of conceptual and aesthetic issues, while Marie J. Jean’s essay examines some twenty exhibitions in which the artist has taken part, seeking to understand how they constituted a stimulating research laboratory. The visual content of the book—organized around a selection of emblematic exhibitions—allows us to measure the range of those paths, while the bio-bibliography compiled by Claudine Roger outlines the biographical events and critical perspectives that have marked the artist’s career.
Prior to producing this monograph, VOX mounted in 2017 a retrospective exhibition that afforded in-depth study of Serge Tousignant’s practice and took the measure of his undeniable contribution to the history of Canadian art.
