8th Floor
Le grand fatras is part of a photographic series initiated by Gwenaël Bélanger in 2002, focusing on falling objects. This work depicts a rain of heterogeneous items, underscored by a title that evokes medieval fantasies. The absurd and abundant nature of these everyday objects, liberated from their utilitarian function, lies at the heart of the artist's exploration. By allowing them to fall, Bélanger evokes a sense of childlike joy, reminiscent of the simple yet chaotic pleasure of throwing objects to the ground.
The very act of dropping these objects, capturing the moment they defy gravity, creates an inversion of our traditional relationship with things: in sacrificing them to the fall, Bélanger generates new meaning and explores the fragility of our connection to the world around us.
Gwenaël Bélanger is known for his "tinkerer" approach, playing with the boundaries of perception through graphic and photographic techniques. His work questions the status of the image—its production, transmission, and reception—and challenges us to reconsider what we see and perceive.
His pieces are part of prestigious collections, including the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, the City of Montreal, the National Bank of Canada, BMO, and the Mouvement Desjardins. He has also created two public art works in 2020-2021 for the new MIL campus at the Université de Montréal and the CHUM amphitheater in Montreal.
