Other than Satan, who else can make God work? —— Poem extract
The collaboration between Mathieu and Dai Weina bridges cultures, offering the Chinese audience a fresh perspective on the artist’s work through the lens of poetic resonance. The integration of poetry introduces a new dimension of creation, further emphasizing the exhibition’s themes of migration, perception, and tradition.
Mathieu's artistic practice reflects the fluidity of globalization, where the self is continuously reshaped through interaction and cultural exchange. His work does not merely situate itself between traditional and contemporary frameworks but instead emerges from the dialogues, tensions, and convergences between multiple influences. This series of works is a fusion of his experiences, thoughts, and emotions over the past few years. In his work “Abundance and Drought”, ghostly lines break through suppression, forming a frightened face amid seemingly disordered escapes. His paintings and sculptures capture fragments of perception within an ever-changing reality, embodying a dynamic interplay similar to the experience of dreams. The process of migration and adaptation, either through physicality or by dreaming, often marked by a sense of multiplicity and grief, informs the rhythm and composition of his works.
Mathieu’s approach aligns with a broader movement in contemporary art where cross-cultural artistic expression has become the norm. His works move beyond fixed identities, engaging instead with the idea of the self as a fluid idea shaped by encounters and transitions. The exhibition examines how these notions are visually expressed, with elements that disrupt conventional structures of time and space. In this context, Mathieu’s art serves as a means of exploring new forms of being present through poetry and visual art.
Mathieu's open attitude towards creation has enabled him to quickly adapt to non-native cultures while nurturing a new creative language that combines his traditions. Avoiding the constraints of textual translation, the visual and poetic languages in "Unconscious Dreams" intersect in a way that transcends cultural and linguistic barriers. Art becomes an enclave where interpretation remains open-ended, fostering a shared experience that extends beyond borders. By engaging with Dai Weina’s poetry, the exhibition invites viewers to immerse themselves in an artistic dialogue where movement — both physical and conceptual — creates a bridge between different worlds.
This exhibition reaffirms Mathieu’s ability to navigate multiple cultural spaces while maintaining an artistic language that remains deeply personal and universally resonant. By blending visual art and poetry, "Unconscious Dreams" offers a meditative journey through the intersections of art, language, and globalized experience.
About the artist
Manuel Mathieu was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in 1986. He graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Visual and Media Arts from the University of Québec in Montreal in 2010, and graduated with a Master of Fine Arts degree from Goldsmiths, University of London, in 2016. In 2020, Mathieu held solo exhibitions at the Montreal Museum of Fine Art and the Power Plant in Toronto. He has participated in group exhibitions at prestigious institutions and galleries, including the Grand Palais in Paris, Art Museum of the Americas, the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, HdM Gallery, and Gagosian Gallery. His works are part of notable collections such as the Rubell’s Family Collection, J.P. Morgan Chase Art Collection in New York, Longlati Foundation, Musée de la civilization de Québec, and the Museum of Contemporary Art of Montreal. Additionally, his works are included in the national collections of both Canada and Haiti.
About the poet
Dai Weina is an award-winning poet, shot story writer, playweight, translator, editor and scholar based in Beijing, where she works for Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. She holds an MPhil from Oxford University and a PhD from Remin University of Chin. Up till 2024 she has published six poetry collections, notably Face Shield and Soul Gymnastics. Her play Invasion was performed in 2016. Her books of translation include Miklos Haraszti’s The Velvet Prison. She also edits Light-Year, a poetry translation magazine. Her poems have been translated into Eglish, Spanish, German and Korean etc.
