[Spring/summer 2013]

Works created for the first Ciel variable fund-raising campaign

This campaign is based on the idea of bringing together a collector and a photographer to create an original artwork on the theme “the spirit of a place” – a place selected by the collector and interpreted by the artist. The exercise offers a unique opportunity for collectors to learn about an artist’s creative universe, to communicate personal feelings attached to a particular place, and to discuss how the artist would read and interpret it to integrate it into his or her creative world. This project is thus not based on a commission in the traditional sense. Rather, it offers collectors a chance to be active participants in a creative process.

It’s a unique and stimulating idea if we consider that, contrary to what one might think, artists and collectors actually don’t often meet. It’s our way of adding a special twist to the traditional fund-raising campaign. We also decided to pay a percentage of the sale to the galleries representing the artists – the first time to our knowledge that this has been done in a fund-raising campaign.We will conduct similar campaigns in coming years, changing the theme each time. The series, called Artgeist, will depend on the audacity and curiosity of the collectors to whom we will propose that they set foot in unfamiliar territory in order to have a unique experience.

The funds raised will be used to sustain development of the magazine, especially on the digital level. Our projects will be continuing the thrust of our putting online, in May 2010, all of the content from more than twenty years of publication of Ciel variable. The cielvariable.ca/archives Web site has exploration and search tools, thematic introductions, and an educational section, thus helping to expand knowledge about contemporary photography by highlighting the work of artists and photographic studies. Along the same lines, our current projects involve dissemination of the magazine on virtual newsstands, extending our activities in social media, and offering new content adapted to the digital universe. New developments will be unveiled in the near future.

Our heartfelt thanks go to all who have supported the magazine’s adventure by participating in this campaign: the participating collectors and artists; ENCADREX, a campaign partner that framed the artworks; and all the artists and gallery owners who have supported the initiative.
 

Artworks created as part of the fund-raising campaign SITEGEIST – THE SPIRIT OF A PLACE (2012-2013)

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