BGL

Jasmin Bilodeau 

Lac-Mégantic, Québec, Canada, 1973

Sébastien Giguère 

Arthabaska, Québec, Canada, 1972

Nicolas Laverdière 

Québec, Québec, Canada, 1972

“We take genuine pleasure in breaking out of the traditional framework in which art is experienced, in order to bring the human being and art closer together and to give the alert, unsettled spectator a physical and active experience.”

BGL – an acronym composed of the first initial in the surname of each collective participant – was founded in 1996 after Jasmin Bilodeau, Sébastien Giguère and Nicolas Laverdière finished their studies at Laval University in Quebec City.

BGL has been exploring human behaviour, with particular attention to the North American consumer society and its effects on the environment. They often work with humble materials such as wood and cardboard, revitalizing an artisanal tradition connected to vernacular or folk art. While the handmade workmanship and the materials stem from the domain of crafts, the dialogue found in BGL’s works is a contemporary critique of our society of overconsumption. Their works often contain technological objects associated with progress or modernization, such as telephone booths, cars and computers.

Rather than simple objects, BGL seeks to create situations that lie somewhere between performance art and the art of designing exhibitions or theatre sets. They strive to surprise spectators by immersing them in highly unlikely, yet not completely impossible situations. 

BGL’s works are included in the collections of the National Gallery of Canada, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec and the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, as well as in many private collections. 

BGL will represent Canada at the prestigious 56th International Art exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, in Italy in 2015.