The Collectif des Créateurs Canadiens and Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte present "FICTIONS"

On April 22,2021, The Collectif des Créateurs Canadiens (CCC) will unveil "FICTIONS", an immersive virtual experience showcasing new and exclusive works by a group of eight Canadian designers, both established and up-and-coming: Atelier Zébulon Perron, Claste Collection, David Umemoto, Lambert & Fils, Loïc Bard, Pascale Girardin, SSSVLL and Yannick Pouliot. The exhibition is the CCC’s inaugural initiative and collaboration with acclaimed contemporary curator, design specialist, and architect Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte, himself a Montreal native.

Left: furniture by SSSVL, center: cabinets by Loic Bard, right: furniture by SSSVLL
Photo credit: © Alex Lesage

An atypical love letter to the northern city, FICTIONS is a freeform exploration of shape, materiality, and function. Set in a nondescript post-apocalyptic environment in the heart of Montreal, the thirteen pieces await with poise for the viewer’s gaze. Familiar in their appearance, these fictions of mutated furniture blur the lines of design and art, and question who the user might be, what purpose they are meant to inhabit.

Left: furniture by SSSVL, center: cabinets by Loic Bard, right: furniture by SSSVLL
Photo credit: © Alex Lesage

Left: cabinets by Loic Bard, right (out of frame): furniture by SSSVLL
Photo credit: © Alex Lesage

“Fictions takes visitors on an intriguing and mysterious journey, featuring eight designers and artists who pay tribute to the fabric of Montreal. How did these elegant and majestic pieces end up here, in this forbidden space? Rich in textures of light and sound, the exhibition is discovered slowly, almost secretively – but its legacy, and its Montreal spirit, remain with the viewer long after they have left the premises.” – Laurence Gélinas, Executive Director of CCC.

Left (out of frame): cabinet by Loic Bard, center: furniture by SSSVLL
Photo credit: © Alex Lesage

For the duration of one week, viewers are invited to visit "FICTIONS" where they will be prompted to immerse themselves into the exhibition by choosing one of four different camera angles: floor view, bird’s eye, detail, overall view. This voyeuristic setting, reminiscent of 70s sci-fi and surveillance cameras, will marry imagery and video footage by Pierre-Alexandre Guay and Director of Photography Alex Lesage (Anniversary Magazine) to an original soundscape by composer Philippe Brault. Viewers are strongly encouraged to periodically return to the exhibition as the lighting changes throughout the day – a discrete signifier of the passing of time – and how it livens up the inanimate objects.

Chairs by Claste Collection
Photo credit: © Alex Lesage

Chair by Atelier Zébulon Perron
Photo credit: © Alex Lesage

Left: furniture by Yannick Pouliot, center: chair by Atelier Zébulon Perron, right: art objects by Pascale Girardin
Photo credit: © Alex Lesage

As a companion to "FICTIONS", writer Daniel Canty imagined “A Line of Light,” a short essay and user manual to what he calls Montreality: that common denominator or “palpable energy” that radiates through the city’s enrapturing “general stylistic disorder,” furthered here by the CCC’s installation.

ABOUT THE CCC

Founded in 2018, the Canadian Creatives Collective – the CCC – was born out of a desire from a group of creators to see Canadian design soar to new heights and discover new markets. The organization aims to stimulate connections and foster meaningful collaborations between design professionals. To achieve this, it offers logistical support to creators while they establish representation and expand marketing opportunities abroad. The CCC also creates opportunities that foster the emergence of new talent by connecting with prominent professionals from around the world. It especially encourages bold and innovative projects which will highlight Canadian savoir-faire.

ABOUT NICOLAS BELLAVANCE-LECOMPTE

Based in Milan, Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte is a contemporary design specialist, architect, and curator. His commitment to collectible design drove him to co-found the traveling showcase NOMAD held so far in Monaco, St. Moritz, and Venice, which has already established a strong and international network of collectors, design patrons, strategic partners, and gallerists. He also co-founded Carwan Gallery in Beirut, the first contemporary design gallery of the Middle East, where he serves as Art Director. He has curated more than fifty design exhibitions for private galleries, museums, and institutions. He has recently been appointed Art Director of the Fonderia Artistica Battaglia.