Known for cheeky, critical and explosive works, bgl create self-referential in-situ installations that take over architecture and encompass a gallery’s context. The resulting artworks speak directly to contemporary culture and the nostalgia of memory. Viewers often observe a translation of local signage, foodstuff and countryside, each rendition, a continuation of bgl’s investigation of our unpredictable relationship with nature and consumer culture. We sense a Canadian landscape transformed into the actual, a wrestling of environment and the artificial. We become hyper aware of our boundless consumption and throwaway culture and this, in fact, is exactly what BGL are engaging with- a recycling and reusing of materials all restaged and recontextualized in the gallery. Massive exhibitions could present a staging of a seasonal ornamental tree factory, bonfire or ‘Marché aux puces’ (flea market) that position ephemera and unique sculpture in various potentials.

 

BGL was created while the three were studying at Laval University. For over 13 years, they have exhibited widely and frequently both in solo and group exhibitions including The 1er Bienal del fin del mundo, Ushuaia, Argentina, the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, Musée d’art moderne Lille Métropole, France, Mercer Union, Toronto, Hart House, University of Toronto, The Havana Biennale, Cuba and The Montreal Biennale. They have been recognized by the Canada Council for the Arts, The Conseil des arts et letters du Québec and are finalists for the Sobey Award. Their work is found in the collections of The Musée National des beaux-arts du Québec, The Montreal Museum of Fine Art, and The National Gallery of Canada.