Frances Adair Mckenzie
Tiohtià:ke/Montréal QC
Bio
Frances Adair Mckenzie is a sculptor and animator based in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal. She holds a BFA from Concordia University. Adair’s research into sculpture, digital materiality and its conceptual realms is expanded through rigorous studio practice and constant exploration of new technology and tools. How technology sees and influences the way we see is central to her thinking and practice. Experiments with stop-motion, 3D animation, virtual reality and stereoscopy leak out into her sculptural work. This digital foraging leads to questions regarding the stability of identity, production and consumption of desire and the surface tension between digital interfaces and architectural space.
Frances' video work has been widely exhibited internationally, most notably at the Somerset House London, UK, The MAXXI museum in Rome, IT and TOKAS residency in Tokyo. Frances has had solo exhibitions at the Fonderie Darling and Centre Clark in Montreal and at Towards Gallery in Toronto. Two animations and a stop-motion virtual reality piece have been produced by the National Film Board. Her VR piece was nominated for a Prix Gémeaux in Quebec and won a Canadian screen award for best immersive fiction.
Frances Adair Mckenzie would like to thank the Canada Arts Council and the The Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ) for their generous support.
Education
2024-2026 MFA Virginia Commonwealth University
2010-2011 Diploma British Columbia Institute of Technology
2005-2009 BFA Concordia University
Awards
2024 Quebec longlist nominee for the 2024 Sobey Art Award
2023 Recipient 2023 Canadian Screen Award Best Immersive Experience Fiction
2022 Nominé au 37e Prix Gémeaux expérience interactive
2022 SAT Fest innovation prize
CV
2024
Group Exhibition Champagne Toast, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond VA
Solo Exhibition Désiré ,The Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Montréal QC
Group Exhibition Coup de chaleur, Nicolas Robert, Montréal QC
Group Exhibition Tangible Fictions, Patel Brown, Montréal QC
Solo Exhibition Migraine Season, Towards Gallery, Montréal QC
2023
Solo Exhibition Private Life Darling Foundry, Montréal QC
Solo Exhibition Saison des Migraines, L'Écart, Abitibi-Témiscamingue QC
2022
Video Installation The Orchid and the Bee(Satosphère) SAT, Montréal QC 2022
Video Installation The Orchid and the Bee, Biosphere, Montréal QC
Video Installation ARTLAB, Buenos Aires AR
Group Exhibition Banquette, Afternoon Projects Vancouver BC
2021
Group AR Exhibition BEDfellows, Momenta Photo Biennale, Montréal QC
Group Exhibition Howe Are You Island?, Sight & Sound Fest, Montréal QC
Video Installation BEDfellows, Museo MAXXI, Rome IT
Group Exhibition Space Portrait II, Mutek ES, Buenos Aires AR
Video Installation En fleurs, Place des Arts, Montréal QC
Group Exhibition Par la forêt, Stewart Hall Art Gallery, Montréal QC
Group Exhibition Tout se confond, Darling Foundry Montréal QC
2020
Group Exhibition Howe Are You Island?, Somerset Studio, London UK
Group Exhibition Space Portrait, Festival Internacional Inmersiva, Centro Cultural Digital, Mexico City MX
Group Exhibition Space Portrait, Abuja Art Week, Abuja NG
Group Exhibition Distant Arcades Mutek, Montreal QC
2019
Solo Exhibition Day of Y Crutch Contemporary Art Center, Toronto ON
Group Exhibition Future (Im)perfect OBORO, Montréal QC
Group Exhibition Latent See Anteism Bookart Space, Montréal QC
2018
Duo Exhibition Busy Bodies Parisian Laundry, Montréal QC
Group Exhibition Par la forêt Musée d'art contemporain des Laurentides
Duo Exhibition Near Channels Support, London ON
Solo Exhibition Les pas perdus Le Lobe Chicoutimi QC
Group Exhibition 'When things become thoughts: a sinkhole in my
terraformed mind’ Vie D’ange/MAW New York NY
2017
Solo Exhibition Being Made While You Wait Centre Clark, Montréal QC
Group Exhibition Transmundane Dunlop Art Gallery Regina SK
Group Exhibition LUX Daziboa London UK
2015
Solo Residency/Exhibition An Orchid Shaped Hole Connexion ARC, Fredrichton, NB
Solo Exhibition Glossed Over 50/50 ARC Victoria BC
Duo Exhibition In the Name of the Glove Bethlehem XXX Pop Montreal, Montréal QC
2014
Group Exhibition Les Contemporaines Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal QC
Duo Exhibition Party Like its 1699 Satosphere Société Des Arts Technologiques(SAT) Montréal QC
2013
Group Exhibition Art and Tech Rook and Raven London UK
Group Exhibition Rematerialised NMSU Gallery New Mexico US
Residencies
2023
BANFF Center for the Arts Banff AB
L'Écart, Rouyn-Noranda QC
2022
Tokyo Art and Space Residency CALQ Tokyo JP
2022
Mutek ARTlab Residency Buenos Aires AR
2019-2022
Studio Residency Darling Foundry Montréal Q
2020
Somerset Studio Residency London UK
2017-2019
Production Residency Nation Film Board of Canada Montréal Q
2017-2019
Production Residency Nation Film Board of Canada Montréal Q
2017
Artist Residency Artsiceland/Ouvert Art Space Ísafjörður IS
Artist Residency Co{labo}rations Workspacebrussels Brussels BE
2015
Artist Residency Metamorphose Studio 303 Montréal
Artist Residency Clark Street Video Toronto ON
2014
Animator Residency Hothouse Nation Film Board of Canada Montréal QC
Artist Residency Satosphere (SAT) Montréal QC
Artist Residency Les Ateliers Arsenal Contemporary Montréal QC
Artist Residency In Vivo Videographe Montréal QC
Filmography
2023
Director A Private Conversation Video Essay
Private Life exhibition, Fonderie Darling, Montréal QC
https://vimeo.com/843553560/776f8d74c0?tq=#t=17
2021
Director BEDfellows Museo MAXXI, Rome IT
https://vimeo.com/508989612/e95dc3e947
Co-director Liquid Mirrors Place des Arts, Montréal QC
https://vimeo.com/444691113/a86d472db9
2020
Director Space Portrait II Commission Inmerssiva
Co-director Howe Are You Island? Digital Initiatives Canada Arts Council CBC
Director The Orchid and the Bee (NFB) Stop-Motion Stereoscopic VR Montréal QC
2019
Director Space Portrait OBORO Stop Motion Stereoscopic Virtual Reality Montréal QC
Animator Mooniyang Director Caroline Monnet Festival du Nouveau Cinema Montréal QC
Animator Jongué by Director Carlos Ferrand Montréal QC
2018
Director/Animator Trading Hooks for Hands Parisian Laundry Montréal QC
Password: Winston https://vimeo.com/301467664
2017
Director/Animator Punk Shadows (Indie) Blood and Glass Music Video Montréal QC
Director/Animator Fry Guy (Independent) Parisian Laundry Montréal QC
Password: FRYGUY https://vimeo.com/311341706
Animation 13, a ludodrama about Walter Benjamin Documentary Director Carlos Ferrand Montréal QC
2016
Animator All We Need Naked Island Series National Film Board of Canada Montréal QC
2014
Director A Little Craving National Film Board of Canada Montréal QC
Co-Director Party Like it’s 1699 Satosphere; Immersive Spectacle SAT Montréal QC
Animation Land in Sight UQAM Projection Director Caroline Monnet Montréal QC
Director A Love Poem to Unnecessary Objects Videographe Montréal QC
Screenings
2023
Howe Are you Island? LabDoc UQAM, Montreal QC
PLIFE performance/essay, Darling Foundry, Montréal QC
The Orchid and the Bee Sat fest, Taiwan, ROC
2022
Howe Are you Island? 35ème édition du Festival Les Instants Vidéo, Marseille FR
Howe Are you Island? Athens Digital Arts Festival, (ADAF)Athens GR
Howe Are you Island? Simultan Fesitval XVII, Timiśoara RO
Howe Are you Island? Les Percéides: 7e Grande recontre des arts médiatiques, Gaspésie QC
Howe Are you Island? Mutek Distant Arcades II, Montréal QC
Howe Are you Island? Noviembre Electronico, Buenos Aires AR
Howe Are You Island? Printemps numérique MTL Connect, Montreal QC
Howe Are you Island? Somerset House Studios London UK
Howe Are you Island? Antimatter Media Art Festival, Victoria BC
The Orchid and the Bee Video Miami Science Museum, Miami FL
The Orchid and the Bee Video Installation Biosphere, Montréal QC
The Orchid and the Bee Sociète des Arts Technologique, Montréal QC
The Orchid and the Bee Bucheon Int. Animation Festival, Bucheon KR
2021
The Orchid and the Bee SIGGRAPH Asia, Daegu KR
The Orchid and the Bee Spark Animation Festival, Vancouver BC
The Orchid and the Bee Geneva Int. Animation Festival, Geneva CH
The Orchid and the Bee Ottawa Int. Animation Festival, Ottawa CA
The Orchid and the Bee L.E.V. Festival, Gijón ES
The Orchid and the Bee Fantoche Animation Festival, Baden CH
The Orchid and the Bee Annecy Animation Festival, Brussels BE
The Orchid and the Bee Mutek Distant Arcades, Montreal QC
2019
Trading Hooks for Hands Cordova DOVETAIL II, Barcelona SP
The Orchid and the Bee View Conference, Turin IT
Space Portrait OBORO, Montréal QC
2018
Trading Hooks for Hands Parisian Laundry Montréal QC
FryGuy Le Lobe Chicoutimi QC
2017
A Love Poem FemmoSphere Schwules Museum Berlin DE
A Love poem Queer Aging Spectrum Berlin DE
A Love Poem LUX/Daziboa London UK
Live Video Electric Circuits Kingston Ontario
Video Installation Working Title Festival Workspace Brussels BE
Fry guy Parisian Laundry Montréal QC
2016
Live Video Pride Festival Toronto ON
Live Video Pop Montreal Montréal QC
2015
A Little Craving Canadian Showcase Ottawa International Animation Fest
Live Video Pride Festival Toronto ON
2014
Live Video Société Des Arts Technologiques Montréal QC
Quartier 20.14 Video Installation HTMlles Festival Studio XX Montréal QC
Wreath Video Installation Chromatic Festival Montréal QC
2013
Forgotten Detritus Video Installation New Media Festival Vancouver BC
2012
Teen Sleuth Video Installation Festival Phenomenon Montréal QC 2011
Forgotten History of Residential Schools Live Video W2 Vancouver BC
Teen Sleuth Video Installation The Music Gallery Toronto ON
Teen Sleuth Video Installation HTMlles Festival Studio XX Montréal QC 2011
Teen Sleuth Video Installation Fringe festival Montréal QC