First underwater art gallery (Canada)
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The first edition of Aquart International was held in Thetford-Mines, Quebec (Canada) in August 2006. The gallery now houses a permanent underwater exhibit. The annual event resumed in 2008.
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AQUART
By Jeffrey Gallant
Editor-in-Chief
Scuba gear would not be the obvious choice to make a fashion statement at the art gallery. But every August hundreds of divers pull on their suits and don tanks for a little art appreciation in what is a unique cultural experience.
For this first-of-its-kind event (Canada) the crowd descends on (and into) the abandoned ‘Flintkote’ asbestos mine near the town of Thetford Mines, Quebec. There, in the sun-shot water, they help make a little history bringing ‘Aquart’ to life. The exhibition is the brainchild of Charlene Chouinard, herself an artist and diver from the nearby city of Sherbrooke. In 2006, an invitation to her creative crowd in the Eastern Townships to exhibit in the unusual event resulted in 40 artists and artisans providing works in varied media – from paintings to sculpture to metal work – for the entertainment of interested divers and art lovers. A swim around what has since become an annual show is at least a single tank experience and for most, more than one dive is in order.
Most works on display are laminated in plastic although some are created expressly for the underwater venue. It takes several days for Aquart volunteers and divers to ‘hang’ the show, ensuring all entries are well secured from floats or safely anchored. The finished display is a sight to behold; unique in Canada and, it’s safe to say, elsewhere, too.
On site media coverage results in heavy attendance. In fact, divers come in droves to the August weekend event. Scuba/art aficionados are offered two exhibit areas or galleries to view, accessed from separate entry points. Large oil on canvas paintings of angels and other fantasy creatures by the exhibit’s honorary president, David Martel, and fellow artist, Steve Saint-Pierre, are hung along steep underwater cliffs that lead the way to other paintings and sculptures on display in deeper water. At the deeper level, masterworks on show are best appreciated with the help of dive lights to restore their colour and warmth. The second site features a collection of more paintings and three-dimensional art that includes striking ironwork sculptures, seemingly at home in these shallows, and accessible to snorkelers as well as scuba divers.
Divers have also afforded an opportunity to ‘get the feel’ of being in a genuine shark cage although the only predator in the vicinity is the sizeable skeleton-like sculpture of a monstrous-looking fish, the creation of Montreal blacksmith Olivier Maranda. It is one of the most outstanding works in the show.
The second site is also alive with sound effects and a steady stream of classical and new age music broadcast underwater by a live (topside) DJ. The combined effect of sight and sound is for many an experience they won’t soon forget. "Wow!" best summarizes comments overheard by the divemaster counting wide-eyed heads at the exit point. And the underwater sights and sounds aren’t the only treats in store. During their surface intervals participants also enjoy the displays of several artists and craftspeople that showcase their work in several large tents erected between the separate dive entry points.
Most of the artwork exhibited underwater is to be auctioned off with proceeds to a worthy cause.
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| WEB site : |
http://www.aquart.ca
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Underwater Art,
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