Obviously I don't have favored nation status anymore

Howdy!

Instead of getting the press release emailed to me, I discovered this morning, that in fact the CBC had beat me to the punch. Congratulations to David Altmejd, who was nominated by Louise Dery, and then selected by Bruce Grenville, Wayne Baerwaldt (or if you prefer Wayne Baerwaldt) and Anne-Marie Ninacs as the Canadian Artist who will be exhibiting at the 2007 Venice Biennale.

If you'd like to see what Louise Dery likes, try these:


Le dormeur du val, 2004, wood, paint, Plexiglas, mirror, lighting system, plaster, resin, foam, synthetic flowers, fabric, synthetic hair, paper, jewellery, wire, chain, beads, glitter, 152,4 x 244 x 304,8 cm / 60 x 96 x 120 in (Photo: Bertrand Huet, courtesy Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York)



First Werewolf, 1999, wood, paint, Plexiglas, lighting system, plaster, polymer clay, synthetic hair, acetate, mylar, jewellery, glitter, 214 x 198 x 244 cm / 84 x 78 x 96 in, Second Werewolf, 2000, / wood, paint, Plexiglas, mirror, lighting system, plaster, polymer clay, synthetic hair, synthetic flowers, acetate, mylar, glitter, 243,8 x 182,9 x 213,4 cm / 96 x 72 x 84 in (Photo: Richard-Max Tremblay, courtesy Galerie de l’UQAM)



The University 2, 2004, wood, paint, Plexiglas, mirror, plaster, foam, resin, lighting system, synthetic flowers, synthetic hair, mylar, minerals, paper, jewellery, fabric, wire, chain, beads, glitter, 280 x 550 x 650 cm / 107 x 215 x 252 in (Photo: Oren Slor, courtesy Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York)

If you'd like to re-read what I think about Mr. Altmejd's work, click here.

If you'd like to read stuff from the people who did get the press release, try these (what is it with Toronto headline writers and old John Landis films?):

1. Canadian Press (via Yahoo News 'Montreal artist David Altmejd to represent Canada at Venice Biennale')
2. Le Devoir 'Art contemporain - David Altmejd à la Biennale de Venise: La Galerie de l'UQAM place son poulain montréalais pour 2007'
3. The Globe and Mail 'A Canadian Werewolf in Venice'
4. The Montreal Gazette 'Local artist going to Venice Biennale'
5. The National Post 'Awoooooo! A werewolf in Venice' (and by extension the Ottawa Citizen 'Canadian artist gets chance to howl on world stage')
6. La Presse 'David Altmejd représentera le Canada à la Biennale de Venise en 2007'

Then if you'd like to read the stuff that will impress all of them, here are the reviews of Mr. Altmejd's work in the Village Voice, "David Altmejd's sculpture of a hairy beast riven with mirror shards and fluorescent tubes feels like a werewolf caught in a disco disaster... With daydreams like this, who needs nightmares?" [30 words]

And the New York Sun, "David Altmejd renders a cadaver in an advanced state of decay amid cracked mirrors and neon lights in "The Settler" (2005), a work of weird beauty." (all I can copy/paste from Google News, as the Sun is moneywalled) [26 words - although it could be more, but I doubt it.]

Best though are the pictures from Flickr, especially this one.