Second edition of the international exhibition AU FIL DE L’ART

DOMINIC BESNER displays his work alongside Quebec and Moroccan fashion at the new MX Gallery 333 Viger Street, Montreal

November 29 to December 11

Montreal, October 30, 2007 – The inaugural edition of the exhibition AU FIL DE L’ART was held in Morocco, at the Villa des Arts in Casablanca and Rabat, from January to June 2007. There, Quebec artist Dominic Besner displayed his latest works along with original clothing from three Moroccan fashion designers: Mohamed Lakhdar, Labert Oikine and Karim Tassi. Following the success of this venture, the MX Gallery, in collaboration with the ONA Foundation and R.A.R.E, decided to present a second edition of AU FIL DE L’ART, this one including Quebec designers.

 “The Moroccan public had an extremely positive reaction to this exhibition where you could see Dominic Besner’s canvases and the sumptuous caftans inspired by them. So our team decided to repeat the experience here in Montreal and to incorporate our own design talent. We are also preparing a Toronto edition in the coming months, which will include clothing by Toronto designers. This has become a travelling exhibition that keeps expanding with each city it visits. We will definitely present this exhibition in a number of cities, and each time add other major talents from the fashion world,” explained Michael Mensi, owner of the MX Gallery and Besner’s agent.

For Besner, the first edition was an opportunity to discover another artistic world. “The first exhibition in Morocco was very moving. The marriage of clothing and painting was a tremendous success. This collaboration showed that artists and fashion designers can live under the same roof. In reality, there’s not that much difference between us: we work the same way. We ask ourselves the same questions: what colours to use, what cut, lines or shapes to develop. I’m eager to see the results of the Montreal exhibition. Here we share the same culture and are all affected by our environment. Without really being aware of it, we look in the same direction. It will be interesting to see the divergent influences and the things we have in common in our different modes of expression. In Morocco, I was a North American artist who uses colour in his work like many North Africans. They could see themselves in that aspect of my work. It will be interesting to see what emerges here. What I really like about this exhibition is the opportunity for exchange with other types of artists. It’s always fascinating to see that other artists work like us and ask themselves the same questions. And for each of us, it is a rare opportunity to interact with other artists. We’re all so tied up in our own sphere that we rarely take the time to meet other artists.”

Dominic Besner will present a number of new works for this exhibition, with his signature character occupying an important place. “I can tell you now that the paintings on display will be highly theatrical.”



Fashion designers in the second edition of AU FIL DE L’ART

A number of our fashion designers have already accepted Dominic Besner’s invitation, including Andy Thê-Anh, Denis Gagnon, Yso, Antonio Ortega, Yves-Jean Lacasse and Rush Couture.

Dominic Besner: Dominic Besner is an artist with a unique vision, widely recognized in Canada and the United States. His works can be found in many major collections: Loto-Québec, the Cirque du Soleil, the ONA Foundation, the Borgata Hotel and Spa and numerous private collections. A number of art galleries represent his work around the world. Known for their dreamlike characters, brilliant colours and architectural elements, Besner’s paintings have inspired numerous other works, including a play, literature, short films, musical compositions and fashion designs.


This exhibition is made possible thanks to:

The ONA Foundation: This foundation is Morocco’s principal cultural and economic catalyst. It was responsible for the presentation of the AU FIL DE L’ART exhibition in Casablanca and Rabat.
The MX Gallery: The MX Gallery is a major Montreal venue for displaying visual art. Its mission is the promotion of local and international creative talent.
R.A.R.E: Représentants d’Artistes pour un Rayonnement à l’Étranger (Artists’ Representatives for Display Abroad) is a non-profit organization whose objective is to disseminate the work of local artists nationally and internationally.