The FOFA Gallery at Concordia kicks off its fall programming with three distinct exhibitions across its vitrines and gallery spaces.
The majority of the gallery is occupied by interdisciplinary artist Madeleine Mayo, MFA 18, who is presenting an extensive and ambitious body of work. She created it with the support of the Claudine and Stephen Bronfman Fellowship in Contemporary Art, which she received in 2019.
Born in London, Ontario, Mayo earned a BFA in painting from the Ontario College of Art and Design University in Toronto before completing her MFA at Concordia. Her work has been presented in Montreal galleries such as McBride Contemporain and, most recently, the Visual Arts Centre, with an exhibition of her paintings titled Rules of Mantis (2022).
Vex-Visceral, Mayo’s exhibition at the FOFA, consists of a series of large sculptural objects as well as wall paintings in the Main Space, York Vitrines and Sainte Catherine Street Vitrines. The explosive, energetic pinks, reds, yellows and greens of Mayo’s sculptures are playful and theatrical, yet they also hint at conflict and taboo.
“I’m really interested in relationship dynamics,” Mayo explains. “These objects are trying to deal with the complexities and complications in relationships. They could speak to people’s deeper needs, things that may not be comfortable or appropriate.”
This range of uses is clear in how some sculptures have sharp edges or resemble some kind of trap, while others are welcoming with extravagant, rounded parts. The visitor can become immersed in Mayo’s fantastical imagination with the help of her extremely vertical mural paintings.
“I was very struck by how much I have a sense of my own body when I’m looking at the work,” says Nicole Burisch, MA 11, FOFA gallery director. “There’s something to be said about being in a large space with these striking physical objects as we’re coming back after a couple years of virtual work. I very much enjoy that aspect of this installation.”
For Mayo, Vex-Visceral is a full celebration of painting and colour. “Colour activates the objects and brings them to life,” she says.
“Being in the space, surrounded by bold colours, gives me a sense of uplift and I hope the work offers that to others as well. It’s about rousing a sense of robust energy and attentiveness to contend with the contradictions and tension within the work.”