ESSAYS

Alternator exhibition essays respond to the artworks presented through our Main Gallery exhibition series, and add another layer of interpretation to the exhibitions on view. These essays take a variety of forms: formal essays, Q&As with the artist, interpretive responses, and other types of creative writing pieces.

Read the essay supporting our current exhibition below, or review the essay archive going back to 2019.

Interested in writing for us? Learn how to join our roster of writers here.

But What Did You Come Here For // Justin Apperley

But what did you come here for?

I’m often asked.

Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine…

You mean?

Well, it must be for the nature; the remoteness, the space, the experience, the beauty.

main GalleryAlternator Centre for Contemporary ArtMay 31, 20232023, Gabrielle Desrosiers, Justin Apperley, But What Did You Come Here For

I Saw Something // Samuel Roy-Bois

I swear I saw something. It was right there, in front me. Nothing scary, nothing bizarre, I think. More like a form, something that has a presence, a form. It was tall. Not that tall. A bit shorter than that maybe. It was right there. I say a form but that might be misleading.

main GalleryAlternator Centre for Contemporary ArtFebruary 28, 2023Samuel Roy-Bois, Austin Clay Willis, Moving Through Debris, I Saw Something, 2023