Friendship captured in fibres art project garners prize

marc losier

Fourth-year Fibres student Dana Dal Bo (seen in the photo with her piece Elizabeth & Barry) is one of four recipients of the prestigious Quebec Fibres Art Centre Prize, given to the top prospective or recent graduates from Concordia, Université Laval, Université du Québec à Montréal and Université du Québec à Chicoutimi.

Associate Fibres Professor Ingrid Bachmann said the award greatly encourages emerging artists in textiles and fibers. Winners not only receive a cash prize, they get to exhibit their work in a professional gallery.

Dal Bo called Elizabeth & Barry “a documented performance.” Three colourful prints on stretched cloth capture her playing a doctor performing surgery on Concordia Painting and Drawing graduate Alexandre-Nicolas Soubiran.

Dal Bo likens Soubiran to a sibling, and says the closeness she captured in the piece began a few years ago on a class trip to New York City. “We realized we shared the same birthday.” Their collaboration was mentioned in The Montreal Mirror last summer.

The sutures in the frame are from Soubiran’s father’s medical practice and the dentures are from Dal Bo’s parents’ dental practice.

The work of each winner is on display until April 13 at the Diagonale Centre des arts et des fibres du Québec, 5455 de Gaspé Ave. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.