New Artist in Residence

After considering the applications of numerous artists interested in the Impressions artist residency, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA), in collaboration with the Conseil des arts de Montréal (CAM), is pleased to announce that Ari Bayuaji has been selected from Montreal’s diverse artistic community for this project. From January 9 to February 17, 2017, the Museum will open its doors and its reserves to this visual artist who is committed to “challenging the Western categorization of fine and decorative arts versus everyday objects by creating works that fall between these two categories, thus giving viewers the opportunity to question their assumptions.”

Ari Bayuaji’s story

Ari was born in Indonesia in 1975. After immigrating to Canada in 2005, he studied Fine Arts at Concordia University (2005-2010). Since 2009, he has been producing his art in both Montreal and Bali. His works have been exhibited in several locations in both solo and group shows, from Montreal and Ottawa to Denmark and Indonesia. During his residency, Ari will look at the Western categories of fine and decorative arts and produce works that are situated between design and the ready-made. He will highlight objects that once served as domestic tools and would never previously have been accepted as art objects. By doing so, he hopes to encourage a new discussion on how we categorise art and design.

The Impressions residency

The purpose of this research and creation programme is to encourage cross-disciplinary dialogue by enabling an artist to explore and find inspiration in the fascinating resource that is the Museum’s permanent collection. The Museum boasts the largest encyclopedic collection in Quebec, comprising some 42,000 works, 4,500 of which are on display in its five pavilions. The artist in residence will provide an original perspective on this rich and varied collection.

The Impressions residency is for professional artists who have core training in the arts and whose abilities have been recognized by their peers. Professional artists create, perform or publish works for public presentation, devote themselves primarily to the practice of their art, and are remunerated for their creations.