Esker/lithium (2019 – ongoing)

A pallet of bottled water packets is covered in fabric that displays a mining prospecting site; on top lies an iPhone with a faulty battery. The device presents research material as well as field work that Quévillon has been carrying out since 2019 in connection with the exploitation of lithium, a substance for which the electrification of transport and mobile devices have increased the demand. The work focuses mainly on a prospecting site in Abitibi-Témiscamingue and the projected consequences of the spodumene deposit exploitation; the open-pit mine could upset the ecosystem and as well as the Saint-Mathieu-Berry esker, known for the purity of its natural spring water. While several projects for the recovery of critical and strategic minerals are in development, Esker/lithium highlights the paradoxes of the energy and technological transition, as well as the impacts of the exploitation of natural resources on the fauna, flora and the communities.

Bio:

François Quévillon is an artist living in Montreal whose interdisciplinary practice examines the interactions of environmental and social issues and technological developments. Active for more than twenty years, he works regularly in residencies. His creations have been presented at several exhibitions and events in the fields of contemporary art, cinema and digital creation, including Connecting the Dots (Mexico), New Frontier at the Sundance Film Festival (Park City), Spaces Under Scrutiny at the Knockdown Center (New York), ISEA (Gwangju, Dubai and Albuquerque), Open Media Art Fair (Seoul), Intervals (Nijni Novgorod), FILE (São Paulo), IndieBo (Bogotá), LOOP Barcelona, ​​Contemporary Istanbul, Mirage Festival (Lyon), Mois Multi (Québec), Espace [IM] Média (Sherbrooke), FIFA, MUTEK, NeurIPS, RIDM, Elektra and BIAN (Montreal). Different iterations of his individual exhibition La Terre en suspens have been presented in Quebec since the end of 2021.

Photo credit: François Quévillon