To mark Françoise Sullivan’s 100th birthday, the Centre international d’art contemporain de Montréal, in collaboration with the Department of Art History, the library, the Fine Arts collection and the Law Faculty of McGill University invited Abigail Susik, an international specialist in Surrealism, to give a lecture on Françoise Sullivan and the impact Surrealism had on Montreal on November 16, 2023.
Abigail Susik met Françoise Sullivan while she was part of the exhibition Surrealism Beyond Borders held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in the fall of 2021 and subsequently, at the Tate Modern in London, U.K. Abigail Susik says that surrealism is developed in all artistic disciplines and that Françoise Sullivan holds an exemplary place in it in dance. This Lecture will be an original addition to the understanding of the work of Françoise Sullivan placed in an international artistic movement.
Even without a public place and regular exhibitions, the CIAC continues to be present in Montreal and on its website through punctual and specific projects. This lecture is part of a series of « tributes to Françoise Sullivan » which will be paid to her in 2023 to underline the importance of her artistic production and her 100th birthday.
To carry out this project, we count on the friends of the CIAC. We invite you to make a donation to our fundraising campaign which contributes to the CIAC public activities fund.
The lecture by Abigail Susik will be held on November 16, 2023 in the Moot Hall of the Faculty of Law of McGill University, a building attached to the Ross house, which was Françoise Sullivan’s dance studio between 1947 and 1950 and the place where the first modern dance show in Quebec was presented on April 3, 1948.
This show titled Récital de danse was Françoise Sullivan’s initiative and it was produced with the collaboration of Jeanne Renaud and several artists from the Group of the Automatists including Jean Paul Riopelle to the scenography for Black & Tan Fantasy and at the stage management for Dualité, two choreographies of Françoise Sullivan. The Ross house is thus an emblematic location in the career of Françoise Sullivan.
Your donation, no matter the amount, will give you access to the lecture by Abigail Susik. The lecture will be given in English and at no cost. Come to pay your tribute to Françoise by attending this lecture.
Tell us your interest in this activity and you will be informed of any development
related to the event as soon as announced.
Thank you in advance for your financial help. A tax receipt is issued for any donation of $ 25 and more.
Claude Gosselin, C.M., CEO and Artistic Director, Centre international d’art contemporain de Montréal
And our partners from McGill University:
Gwendolyn Owens, Director, Visual Arts Collection;
Jacquelyn Sundberg, Outreach Librarian, ROAAr, McGill University Library.
And the members of the Comité des Hommages à Françoise Sullivan :
Simon Blais, Louise Déry and Geoffrey Ewen.
Dr. Abigail Susik Associate Professor of Art History, Willamette University