September 21 – December 1, 2024
Temple of Love – Tutti Sistemati is a commissioned sculptural video installation that introduces a new version of Temple of Love. Inspired by Roland Barthes’s book A Lover’s Discourse: Fragments (1977) and the chapter “Tutti sistemati”, this new work advocates for land preservation and promotes an ecological contemplation of our world: it addresses the complex relationship between Normandy and Haiti, revealing the history of Creole gardens, colonial pasts, and mythical tales. Through the perspective of créolité, the artist invites viewers to explore the crossroads of collective and personal histories while considering themes of genealogy, healing, resistance, empowerment, and gender in greater depth. Temple of Love stimulates reflections on the intricacies of this shared history and offers glimpses of hope for a more inclusive and sustainable future. Gaëlle’s guests for Temple of Love – Tutti Sistemati are Arvo Leo and Audrey Parisot. The images for the video are credited to Makoto C. Friedmann.
Gaëlle Choisne is a visual artist who engages with contemporary global issues through her multimedia practice. Her work reflects upon colonial history and the remnants of its political and cultural turmoil and exploitation of nature by incorporating Creole traditions, myths, and popular cultures. Her projects, especially Temple of Love (2022–24), operate as collaborative ecosystems that question societal norms and imagine new possibilities.
Commissioned by the Toronto Biennial of Art and made possible with the generous support of the Consulate General of France in Toronto, Institut Français, and the Women Leading Initiative.
Bio
Gaëlle Choisne (she/they)’s practice combines a documentary approach (photography and video) with the use of raw materials, addressing socio-political issues related to the overexploitation of natural resources and colonial history. Born of a Haitian mother and a Breton father, the artist blends oral traditions, Creole mythology and popular culture in works that refer to both Haiti’s history and her own personal narrative.
«To invest in the density of these complex and shifting dynamics in perpetual revolution, Gaëlle Choisne uses choral art forms that she readily describes as experimental. Sculpture, installation and a taste for abrupt confrontation with material have always accompanied the artist in the same way that her video practice has, navigating between documentary legacies, found footage and speculative narratives. Between these two great families of consistencies that populate her works are collections of found objects, some of which have been maintained for many years, which show her special attention to charms, amulets, talismans, playing cards and more. These collections convey the artist’s interest in the occult, taxonomy, exoticism, merchandising, spirituality and popular practices sometimes referred to as ‘enthusiasts’.»
– Thomas Conchou (extract)
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