Stance Takes Montreal: Where Music Meets Art w/ Musician Gayance; Visual Artist Yannis Guibinga; Art Collector Dr. Kenneth Montague

 

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This episode of Stance Takes highlights Montreal.

This city is a significant North American cultural hub, and in this episode the worlds of music and art collide spotlighting music and visual art from the creatives at the forefront of creative expression.

Jamal Shabazz, Best Friends, Brooklyn, New York 1981 - As We Rise: Photography from the Black Atlantic

Dr Kenneth Montague, Courtesy of the Wedge Collection

Dr. Kenneth Montague is a Toronto based art collector and founder of the Wedge Collection, acquiring and exhibiting art which explores Black identity and the African diaspora. Additionally, he is the founder of Wedge Curatorial Projects, a nonprofit arts organization supporting emerging Black artists.

In conversation with Stance he shares his perspective on Montreal as a creative hub, and a collective space for culture.  We discuss the compilation of photographs in his new book As We Rise: Photography from the Black Atlantic, drawn from the Wedge Collection and dedicated to artists of African descent.

Dr.Kenneth has been a member of the Art Gallery of Ontario’s board of trustees since 2015. He has served on the African acquisitions committee at Tate Modern in London, and is an advisor to the Department of Arts of Global Africa and the Diaspora at the Art Gallery of Ontario. 

Gayance

No Toning Down EP, Gayance

Haitian Canadian musical artist, programmer and DJ Gayance is widely known for her multilayered, cross cultural sound referencing UK Garage, the Broken Beats Scene, Detroit and New York House, as well as Brazilian sounds from the state of Bahia.

Blazing a brilliant trail for her unique sound globally and in Montreal, Gayance has performed in Paris, Amsterdam, Brooklyn, Marrakech, Berlin and São Paulo. She speaks with Stance about her various projects, the influences behind her multilingual sound, and her latest EP No Toning Down, a call out to those who’ve long been marginalised to stay true to themselves. 

Yannis  Guibinga by Benjamin Leblanc

Pterygota Series, Yannis Guibinga

Gabonese photographer based in Montreal, Yannis  Guibinga consciously uses photography as a tool to contribute to and change existing problematic narratives concerning the African continent.

Through his unique lens, Yannis’ striking and sometimes colourful photography is symbolic of the multiple contemporary identities of the African continent.

Yannis has exhibited works internationally including in England, South Africa, Nigeria, France, Russia, Qatar, Switzerland. He has also been featured on platforms such as CNN Africa, Document Journal, I-D, Harper’s Bazaar Russia.

In conversation with Stance, Yannis highlights his photographic approach, his portrayal of African identities, and the resounding influence of Gabon and Montreal on his work. 

 
Chrystal Genesis