Il s'occupait, c'est vrai, de nos intérêts et de nos biens

Text written by curator Aseman Sabet (Montreal):
The physical properties of materials, related to their uses in the construction and renovation of various architectural spaces, are fundamental to Nicolas Fleming’s practice. His experience as a technician in the field of visual arts, particularly in relation to the mounting of exhibitions, relates to his artistic pursuits, notably with respect to the malleability of the materials and their evolution through the spectator’s experience. For the artist, the purpose of the work is never divided: it is in constant mutation, during production as well as during the exhibition. The monumental installation the artist is presenting at Aires Libres places the semantic mobility of the artwork in a state of tension. The in-situ work that Fleming favors here is in line with an increasingly architecture-based approach: given the constraints involved in presenting a work on the pedestrian area of Sainte-Catherine Street, the proposed strategy was to build an enclosure, a sort of wood and plexiglass zoo cage, which, instead of displaying exotic creatures, exhibits sculptures in the public space. These sculptures highlight the formal vocabulary of the artist, for whom imperfections and the varying degrees of finishing are constantly brought into the spotlight. Before these strange shapes, seductive in some areas, surprising in others, the spectator gets caught in the trap of his own thoughts and judgements.