Call for papers

a) An exhibition review will have 900 to 1000 words, and will address a solo or group exhibition in Quebec, Canada or abroad, and go beyond a description of the artworks.
b) Apart from exceptional cases, the exhibition reviewed should not have ended more than four months prior to the release of the issue in which the review will be published.
c) The title of the review should be limited to the title of the exhibition, and include the artist’s name if it is a solo exhibition.
d) The header should also include the venue and dates of the exhibition.
e) Intertitles should be avoided and footnotes should be kept to a minimum, if at all.
f) Images, with full captions, to accompany the text are welcome but not mandatory.
g) A proposal should be sent by e-mail to gcorto [@] espaceartactuel [.] com as soon as possible before the deadline. The editor-in-chief’s preliminary approval of this proposal does not mean that the submission of the completed text is accepted. The editorial committee must still review the final text for acceptance or rejection.
➜ The next deadline for exhibition reviews is January 8, 2026 for issue no.143 (Spring 2026).

a) The texts in the Events section are reviews of large-scale exhibitions, particularly biennales or other artistic events involving several venues.
b) A review in the Events section will be 1500 to 2000 words.
c) Apart from exceptional cases, the event reviewed should not have ended more than four months prior to the release of the issue in which the review will be published.
d) The title should include the name of the event, but not necessarily limited to it.
e) The header should also include the venues and dates of the event.
f) Headings and footnotes are welcome but not mandatory.
g) Images, with full captions, to accompany the final text are welcome but not mandatory.
h) A proposal should be sent by e-mail to gcorto [@] espaceartactuel [.] com as soon as possible before the deadline. The editor-in-chief’s preliminary approval of this proposal does not mean that the submission of the completed text is accepted. The editorial committee must still review the final text for acceptance or rejection.
➜ The next deadline for exhibition reviews is January 8, 2026 for issue no.143 (Spring 2026).

a) For the Feature section, we would like original texts of 1500 to 2000 words (excluding footnotes) on the theme addressed, along with relevant case studies.
b) Headings are welcome for clarity, but not mandatory
c) Footnotes are welcome, but should not exceed 20.
d) The text will not include a bibliography.
e) Images, with full captions, to accompany the final text are welcome but not mandatory.
f) The author is invited to send us, as soon as possible (November 3, 2025), a proposal by email to gcorto [@] espaceartactuel [.] com before the final submission of his or her text. The preliminary acceptance of this proposal by the editor-in-chief does not, however, prevent the submission of the completed text to the editorial committee for final validation or rejection.
➜ The next deadline for the Feature section is January 8, 2026.

ESPACE art actuel, n° 143 (Spring 2026).

Subject: Light/Lumière

James Turrell’s environments with their colourful auras, Dan Flavin’s minimalist sculptures with their fluorescent tubes, Jenny Holzer’s messages on their illuminated displays—all of these pioneering artists of the second half of the twentieth century were noted for their use of light. A few decades later, light, for contemporary artists, seems to have evolved from represented subject into raw material. Of course, it may be stretching the meaning of the term “material” to use it for a physical phenomenon described in terms of waves or flows of particles. Whether the light emanates from a flame—what Gaston Bachelard (1961) called “living light”—or an electric bulb, it allows the eye to see without itself being visible. Associated in the Western imagination with goodness, truth, and knowledge, it can, however, blind us and produce deceptive illusions. It is also associated with magic and enchantment. 

The development of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in the 1990s democratized access to lighting devices that could generate striking and changing effects. LEDs transformed the nocturnal landscapes of cities: thousands of monuments and architectural icons were bathed in illumination and interactive lighting animated public places. The artist Ryoji Ikeda has fully appropriated this spectacular language for his series Spectra (2000–ongoing); in various world capitals, he presents outdoor interventions composed of dozens of powerful spotlights whose white beams point toward the firmament. Conversely, when Fiona Annis installed Safe Light (la lampe inactinique) (2024) on the façade of the Fondation Guido Molinari in Montréal, she opted for discretion. From the oculus above the building’s main entrance, a single bulb disseminated an amber glow respectful of the vicinity and paying subtle homage to night workers. 

In 2016, according to The New World Atlas of Artificial Night Sky Brightness, light pollution affected the living environments of 83 percent of the world population. It is a significant environmental issue, as are the conditions under which energy is produced to feed the sources of artificial lighting. In Ludovic Boney and Caroline Monnet’s installation Hydro (2019), suspended above mirror panels were 180 bulbs whose intensity fluctuated in response to a soundtrack: a recording of a speech given in 1992 by the Grand Chief of the Cree Nation (Eeyou Istchee), Matthew Coon Come. He was expressing his opposition to the Great Whale hydroelectric project in northern Québec that threatened to destroy huge stretches of land. His words, audible at first, were gradually translated into Morse code then blurred by static that evoked the noise of electrical transformers. The warning contained in his message was nevertheless clear and strong, as the visual and auditory pace of the work provoked anxiety related to the environmental costs of the infrastructure that enabled it to operate. 

Other artists make use of natural light. Karilee Fuglem’s delicate in situ installations flirt with the invisible. The one that she produced during a residency at Galerie Pierre-François Ouellette art contemporain in 2018 became visible only in contact with sunbeams and changed appearance from hour to hour. As air movements gently swayed fine threads, transparent polyester, and other translucent materials, Fuglem’s interventions generated shimmering effects and shadow plays on the surfaces around them. They enlivened the space with understated gestures that testified to her keen attention to the light of day. 

This thematic section will be about light, natural or artificial, and its mobilization within sculptural, urban, performative, or scenographic works. What mysterious power enables light to both reveal and blur our perception of space and time? How does it come into play to shape ambiences, situations, and environments? In what ways is it linked to shadow and opacity? Often associated with security, how does it fit into different surveillance and law-enforcement regimes? It also bears the potential for playfulness; how does it help to generate enchantment, surprise, or amusement? Although, as Jonathan Crary pointed out in 24/7 (2013), the development of natural-gas and electric lighting was part of the capitalist project to extend hours of production, what relationship does light retain with the creation of value? And how can we use it responsibly in a context of climate crisis and biodiversity decline? These questions may be explored through research on recent works in which light plays an important role. 

If you wish to contribute to this thematic issue, co-edited by Josianne Poirier, please send an email to the magazine’s co-executive and editorial director (gcorto@espaceartactuel.com) before November 3, 2025, with a short proposal (250 words). We will inform you quickly if your proposal is chosen. Your complete essay must not be more than 2,000 words, footnotes not included, and be submitted before January 8, 2026. The honorarium is CA$65 per page (250 words).