Fanny Dubois

Biography

Fanny Dubois is a multidisciplinary artist who lives and works in the province of Quebec. Her work combines sculpture, installation, performance, drawing and photography.

She graduated in Fibres and Material Practices at Concordia University (2019) and has a BFA from UQAM. She teaches Textile Printing and Dyeing at Concordia University. Her first solo exhibition was presented at Popop Gallery in Montreal. Her work has been shown in Montreal and Paris. Dubois is actively involved in Art Cible as a promotional editor and member of the selection committee.

Her work speaks to the biological and social independence of her own body. Her visceral and political refusal to use her reproductive power is at the heart of her artistic practice.

About the artwork

Extra-Utérin

Dubois has thoroughly studied the issue of abortion and reproduction throughout history. She is captivated by the current debate on the ethics and politics surrounding humanoid robots. Her work asks the following question: Will the reproduction of humans, through the design of robots, allow us more freedom and control over the machine that we are?

Extra-Uterine consists of a performance in which the artist moves and activates several low-tech functions of remote-controlled wombs. Her work is a new way to give freedom to this internal organ. With humour, Extra-Uterine questions the dogmas of gender identity while reaffirming the artist’s hope for the unrestricted use of her own body.

Moterus 2999 : The Larvae Incubator (2019-2020)

Moterus 2999 includes a uterus powered by a gas engine that is activated by an electric motor with a transmission. This womb does not serve to reproduce a human, but rather to define the artist who produced it: it is a tool that allows her to reconstruct her own identity. In it, materials associated with masculine culture confront a uterus, the ultimate symbol of femininity.

The cube here is not inhabited by the main uterus, but rather presents the other components of the Moterus 2999 project: 28 autonomous “larvae” (uterus babies), all made of old-fashioned car parts, toys and textiles. Some include small electrical devices, such as lights, vibrators, rotary motors, an amplifier or bells. The larvae are presented in 1’x1’x1′ plexiglass boxes. The large cube is thus transformed into a giant incubator where the little larvae wriggle and flash.

By giving autonomy to this internal organ that is the uterus, the artist questions the degree of control we have over our bodies and reflects the precariousness of artificial reproduction. She intervenes every 28 days, at the rhythm of a menstrual cycle, in order to replace the batteries and see to the proper functioning of the mechanisms. These moments are an opportunity for the artist to discuss the work with art lovers and curious members of the public.