Sound and Colour: Fonderie Darling
Maggy Hamel-Metsos, Simile Aria, at Fonderie Darling, photographed by Rebekah Walker, March 20, 2025.
Spring programming has kicked off at Fonderie Darling with Maggy Hamel-Metsos’s Simile Aria, curated by Renaud Gadoury and Numa Amun’s Absoluité, curated by Milly A. Dery.
The main hall of the foundry has been overtaken by seven monumental chords, assembled by Hamel-Metsos from the pipes of a disused church organ, into a sculptural installation. Suspended from the ceiling, the sounds of the organ are given a physical body. Attached to each chord by a net of red cables are air compression tanks, over which the artist has complete control. The sculptures are timed to create an eerie, choral series of sounds, accompanied by the wheezing industrial noises of the machines. Echoing through the high vaulted ceilings of the foundry, this sound art recalls themes of a melodramatic, divine testimony.
The other piece of Hamel-Metsos’ exhibited work is an interaction between nature and emotion. A mirror is placed high above the ground, designed to catch the midday light that shines through the hall's upper windows. The sunlight is directed down by the mirror, through two magnifying glasses which set two strategically placed images on fire. This chain reaction releases the trapped subjects in the photographs – a crying baby and an opera singer. According to the artist, “images bring out such a grand emotion in me that I need to destroy it.” The images represent the cultural mediation of emotion. Where a baby cries aloud, unfettered by any negative reactions, the opera singer has channeled her emotions into a highly controlled aria, unable to express her feelings in an unrehearsed manner.
Maggy Hamel-Metsos, Simile Aria, at Fonderie Darling, photographed by Rebekah Walker, March 20, 2025.
The small gallery houses Numa Amun’s Absoluité, a series of three life-sized paintings that have been installed directly into the wall. The figures, Paliers, Reveille dans la mort, and Filation, are vividly patterned depictions of people, phasing in and out of each other. The overlapping of the two bodies in each piece elicits both a sense of connection and disconnection. The colours and patterns create a psychedelic meditation that is instantly recognized by anyone who has had an out-of-body experience. The connection between the body and the mind materializes within the wall. Amun’s work is an exemplary study of technique, time, and colour theory that provokes interaction between mind and bodily autonomies.
Numa Amun, Absoluité, at Fonderie Darling, Photographed by Rebekah Walker, March 20, 2025.
From within the small gallery, the interspersed chords of Simile Aria can be overheard, blending the experience of both artists into one. While each exhibition functions independently, they become all the more impactful when they merge. Renoud Gadoury cites the philosopher Primo Levi, setting into place the theme of testimony. Those who bear witness to any horrific event become petrified and unable to portray it. Amun furthers this idea through his depictions of out-of-body experiences. He says, “You paint what you've been taught, not experienced.” Both artists are creating physical depictions of immaterial experience, giving a voice to those who cannot speak.
Fully immerse yourself in the worlds of Hamel-Metsos and Amun, which occupy Fonderie Darling until May 18th, 2025. These exhibitions are multi-faceted and enigmatic – there is no one way to read them. Experience it yourself and let your perspective take over, constructing a personal relationship with the art. Let their worlds become yours.