Wednesday, April 8, 2009

G.N.O. Exhibition Mining Plantation


Aldermac – Mining Plantation

Exhibition : Friday April 10 to Saturday May 9
Opening reception: Friday April 10 at 5pm
Artist talk: Saturday May 9 at 3pm


For artist Véronique Doucet, presenting the project Aldermac – Plantation minière in Sudbury marks the completion of a work of artistic and environmental research. This research undertaken in 2002 studies the devastation brought about by the stockpiling of 1.5 million tons of acidic mining residues in a 76-hectare area. With the help of the Conseil régional en environnement de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue (CREAT), the artist fought a determined battle to bring about the environmental rehabilitation of the Aldermac slag dump at Arntfield, 24 kilometers from Rouyn-Noranda.

In the multidisciplinary project presented in Rouyn-Noranda, Doucet uses many different means to inform the public and convince certain governmental agencies of the importance to act in this matter. She produced, among others, a series of post cards giving close to 3000 people the opportunity to get involved in a letter campaign.

After many interventions by the artist and CREAT, the latter received a letter announcing that the site would be rehabilitated. Work estimated at 16.5 million $ is currently underway.

The Sudbury exhibition contains a pictorial installation presenting a map of the Aldermac site and of the artist’s travels, an experimental video documenting the work done by her environmental militia as well as a series of photos and samples of pH levels in water which document the artist’s discoveries in her expeditions on the site.

Véronique Doucet is an environmental artist who, through her art and her political activism, has succeeded in effecting change in her environment. She holds a B.A. in Art with a major in plastic arts and minors in arts and sciences from Université de Montréal. Her works have been exhibited all across Quebec; this is her first exhibition in Ontario.

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