In the hall, or perhaps land, of wonders…

by kit on September 1st, 2009

Kim Kielhofner, an American-landed-Canadian-potential-Brit has been working and living in Montreal for years and years now, or at least a good chunk of time. I have had the pleasure of working with her on several projects, and of watching her practice become more intensely refined and focused as the days have worn by.

She is soon to be elsewhere for awhile as she heads to Central St. Martins for a Masters this fall, but there are plenty of opportunities to see her work in the city as she departs.

The first one is coming up for the month of September at the Centre Communautaire Elgar on Nun’s Island. While a bit of a drive/walk/bike, her drawings held therein are absolutely worth the visit. Entitled, In the Hall of Wonders, the show is a look at some of her most recent illustrative work created in the last few months.

Then, for Art Pop 2009, Kim is showing her latest video installation piece, A Dragnet for Lost Feelings, about train robbing ancestors, the mythology of the wild west, and the reality of violence and memory within families. Kielhofner has a poignancy, humour and ability to transform intense subject matters into an aesthetic and visceral language all her own. I do believe she is very much an emerging artist to keep an eye on.

If you heed my advice, and want to keep your eyeballs on her developing practice, the vernissage for In the Hall of Wonders is happening tomorrow night starting at 7 pm, and if you miss it, you can always go to see her work until October 16th at the Centre Communautaire Elgar. Again, google map, kids, google map.