We need to decolonize the practice of buying art.
Simo
What does the MTL #BLM street mural mean to you? How was your experience creating this outstanding art piece with various Montreal artists?
The idea of the mural is brilliant because it gave a bunch of amazing Black artists an opportunity to work and showcase that work, while pointing out social injustice. Artists are used to working indoors, in private, in their own studio space. So being outside, together, I felt a level of vulnerability that I rarely obtain when working on art, alone, in my bubble. It gave the event a kind of ceremonial feel, which went perfectly with my idea of tracing a vèvè. (Vèvès are drawn on the floor by priestesses or priests at the beginning of Haitian voodoo ceremonies)
Can you tell us about your creative process or your practice? Is there a main message you want to communicate when creating your art? If yes, what is it?
I make art to help me navigate an existence with trauma. The act of creation brings me closer to a self I am constantly discovering, understanding and accepting. My art doesn't necessarily carry a message but I think it forces its audience to think, and expand their interests to new paradigms of thought.
How did you come up with the idea for the artwork of your letter on the Mtl #BLM street mural and can you help us understand its meaning ? And where do you see your art going: what are some of your dreams/goals, short or long term?
When I heard about the project, I thought of the Blackest thing I could do, and tracing a vèvè (voodoo symbol) was it for me. To this day, voodoo is still this taboo thing that the Black communities have a hard time talking about. Like gender identity or sexual orientation. I chose to draw the vèvè of Erzulie Freda, the voodoo goddess of love, who takes lovers of all genders, to remind us, that it is queerphobia, and not queerness, that is a colonial import.
How has the current social crisis (COVID & BLM) impacted your career and your art or creative process? Do you think art plays a role in the fight against racial inequality and police brutality?
It is very difficult to focus on work right now, to be honest. We'll have to adapt and keep pushing but it is becoming more and more exhausting. Art can speak to art lovers, and shift opinions for a small portion of the population. Right now, we need new laws and regulations that actually protect us.
What are some of the things we can do individually and as a community to fully support black artists? And, what type of changes would you like to see in the arts and culture field ?
We need to decolonize the practice of buying art, and make it accessible to all kinds of communities. The art world needs to realize that if they don't know how to come up with more inclusive practices, then maybe they should let people who do take over their job. Everyone wants to do a group show with artists of colour this year, but where will we be in six months?
About SimoCP Simonise est cinéaste, directeur photo, photographe et artiste visuel montréalais.e. Né.e à Port-au-Prince, CP déménage au Québec en 1999 et va à l’UQAM, en informatique de gestion, puis en scénarisation cinématographique. Entre 2005 et 2009, CP a écrit et réalisé des court-métrages à micro budget, ainsi que des vidéoclips pour des artistes locaux. Il a travaillé à la direction photo sur de nombreux projets documentaires, pour la télé (Black Wealth Matters) et le cinéma. Elle est présentement en train de compléter son premier long métrage de fiction (L'arme Sismique). CP a exposé ses œuvres à Montréal, dans le cadre des expositions ‘Album of the Year’ (2009) à l'Eastern Bloc, à la galerie Mile-End pour ‘Symboles de résistance‘ en 2018, ainsi qu'au centre des arts de la Maison d'Haïti en 2020. Son travail traite de thèmes tels que les traumatismes psychiques, l'identité de genre, et vise à décoloniser l'histoire et la culture. The Creative Team
