Yevgeniy Fiks: Artist Talk and Workshop

Please join the Museum of Jewish Montreal (MJM) and the Concordia Institute for Canadian Jewish Studies for an artist talk and workshop with visiting artist Yevgeniy Fiks.

This masterclass will be led by New York-based artist, author, and co-creator of the Yiddishland Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, Yevgeniy Fiks. The class will begin with a lecture and artist talk from Yevgeniy, speaking about his inspiration and approaches as an artist, teacher, and curator, and the influence of Yiddish and diasporic Jewish discourse in contemporary artistic practice.

After a short break to connect further with other participants over coffee and refreshments, Yevgeniy will lead participants through a drawing workshop connected to his exhibition on view, Dos Baushtibl.

Inspired by the “Basic Course” at the Bauhaus—the influential Modernist art school in interwar Germany, this workshop will explore the foundations of Yiddish visual arts in relation to Yiddish and Jewish literature. Engaging in hands-on projects, participants will investigate the possible meanings of visual art concepts such as “Yiddish Line,” “Yiddish Shape,” and “Yiddish Color,” and gain a new appreciation for interdisciplinarity and bringing historical approaches into contemporary practice.

All levels of artistic experience are welcome, and no prior knowledge of topics or techniques is required.

Tickets are $5 for students and $8 for general admission. All materials provided. This event will be held at Concordia University’s John Molson (MB) building. The room number will be provided to participants following registration.

Click here to reserve your spot.

Yevgeniy Fiks is a Moscow-born New York-based artist, author, and organizer of art exhibitions. Among his projects are “A Gift to Birobidzhan,” “Landscapes of the Jewish Autonomous Region,” and “Himl un erd (Yiddish Cosmos)” that have been exhibited at 2B Galeria, Budapest; Galerie Sator, Paris; 21ST.PROJECTS/Critical Practices Inc., New York; and CCI Fabrica, Moscow. Fiks’s performance pieces “Lily Golden, Harry Haywood, Langston Hughes, Yelena Khanga, Claude McKay, Paul Robeson, Robert Robinson on Soviet Jews” and “Red Kaddish” have been performed at the International Print Center New York and the Museum at Eldridge Street/A Landmark Synagogue Story, both in New York.

This event is presented as a part of the Montreal Jewish Arts Collaborative (MJAC) granting initiative, made possible through the support of the Averbach Family Foundation, CANVAS, The Azrieli Foundation, and the Canadian Race Relations Foundation. We thank the Concordia Institute for Canadian Jewish Studies for their partnership.