Sarah F. Maloney
Interpersonal relations are a significant part of Sarah F Maloney’s practice, and her works are influenced by this relational approach. Her practice primarily explores cultural rituals and their affects on communities. Maloney completed her BFA at Concordia University in 2010, and in 2011 she was involved in the creation of Au Deuxième, an artist run centre in Montréal. She has exhibited internationally: Galeri Nasional of Indonesia; Nicosia, Glasgow, New York, Toronto, and Montréal.
Statement
In this recent series of projects under the name Projet Nord, I have engaged in discussions with diverse communities (mine workers, hunters and train workers) who have adopted the remote spaces of northern Quebec as a place for work and/or leisure. The works reflect this conversational approach through the play with photographs, video and memories shared by those correspondents. This series sometimes examines the nostalgia around these foreign spaces, also expressing the feelings of solitude and remoteness experienced by those individuals. At other times it makes a statement on environmental issues in relation to commercial exploitation and it’s links to provincial political interests, more precisely looking into the developments of companies such as Arbec and Arcelormittal. The heat of the debates in relation to these spaces is focussed on the ownership of the land, shared between the government, industry, the Natives and individuals. Respect for the land becomes a key issue that transcends the particular realms of these communities.