Jillian French – Arts and Cultures Editor

On Friday, Sept. 5, The Foreman Art Gallery gathered Bishop’s and Eastern Township community members for the opening reception of On Horizon and (Un)Belonging, a brand new exhibition. The night featured the artwork of Florense Sosa Ray, a film screening from director Naeem Mohaiemen, and the continuation of the ArtLab’s Connection series, this time engaging the reflections of Gabrielle Joncas Brunet. The exhibition was curated by Camila Vásquez, and the reception featured refreshments and a creative workshop for children of attending families.

Photo courtesy of Jillian French

Florence Sosa Rey is the ArtLab’s 2024/25 artist-in-residence, a yearly program that invites artists to the Eastern Townships to inspire artistic projects. Horizon and (Un)Belonging marks the end of this residency for Sosa Rey, a Montreal-based artist who explores both visual and performance art in her work. During the year, Sosa Rey drew inspiration from the farmland of the Eastern Townships, connecting lost history from her father’s farming background to create artwork of migration, lost history and the intricacies and inheritance of family roots. Her drawings and videos featured during the exhibition also explore the sociocultural heritage of Argentina, her country of origin. 

The gallery’s videotank also screened Tripoli Cancelled from director Naeem Mohaiemen, which the ArtLab describes as a “haunting metaphorical take on the physical and mental isolation of the migrant experience”, following the story of a man who lives at the airport for a decade in stasis, adding further depth to the exhibition’s exploration of the relationship between migration and belonging. 

The ArtLab also continues its Connections series, which gathers students and faculty from Bishop’s to write and reflect on artwork from the permanent collection. Gabrielle Jocas Briney, sexual violence response advisor at Bishop’s University, who reflected on six engravings from 19th-century artist William Hogarth from his collection Marriage A-la-Mode, where they presented a series of questions towards the viewer, asking them to examine how their perspectives and view of the art develops throughout the series. In their final thoughts, Jocas-Brunet asks the viewer to consider, “In what ways does Marriage A-la-Mode still resonate with present-day social structures — particularly regarding performative virtue, privilege, sexual and gendered norms, marriage or transactional relationships?”

Marked by quiet observations and contemplation, Horizon and (Un)Belonging is an insightful exploration of cultural tradition, family and what is held and lost in the process of migration. The exhibition runs until Oct. 4 at the ArtLab and, as always, is free and open to the public.