Familia, 2006

Bruno Billio - Toronto, Canada

Interactive Installation

Billio’s practice is at once an emptying of meaning and a renewal of the proscribed object. By de-familiarizing the everyday object, Billio reinterprets the material and social valence of the object in space. He forces the audience to confront the fragility of material determinism and the utilitarian dictates of the familiar commodity.

Mismatched chairs are gathered from households for re-creation of the moment of a family function. Initiated by the audience, the movement of these objects creates the sounds of a family shuffling their chairs into position at the table.

The mirrored floor captures the physical reflections of the audience and the chairs, imbued with personal nostalgia, thus becoming the medium that retains and reflects private experience and memory.

Bruno Billio was born in 1970 and lives in Toronto, Canada. He has exhibited internationally in Milan, London, Miami, New York and Los Angeles. At once an installation artist, a sculptor, and a designer.  He creates challenging works informed by his command of each of these practices. His recent shows include Bruno Billio’s 15 Year Retrospective (2011), De Luca Gallery Toronto, Empire of Dreams Tower Sculpture Toronto (2010), Museum of Canadian Contemporary Art, Reverse Pedagogy Installation (2009), Venice Biennale among others.

Learn More

www.brunobillio.com

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Church of the Holy Trinity, 10 Trinity Square (Access from Bay Street, south of Dundas Street West)

This project is indoors.