A story narrated by my uncle, who takes us on a journey into the country of his birth, the ex-French colony of Algeria, and his Sefaradim cultural roots. He shares with us comical anecdotes about his chilhood and the time he joined the French army. Statement: My approach involves integrating personal stories, memories, and identities with collective stories, memories, and identities. My work also operates between the polarities of reality/fiction, the present/the past, and tragedy/comedy. I attribute this process partly to my mixed cultural roots and religious backgrounds.
Born in Marseille, France, Chantal Dahan now lives and works in Gatineau, Quebec. Dahan obtained a B.A. in Visual Arts from the University of Ottawa and an M.A. in Visual and Media Arts from the Université du Québec à Montréal. Her work has been shown in solo exhibitions at The Ottawa Art Gallery, the UQÀM Gallery, the Centre d'exposition de la Maison de la culture du Plateau Mont-Royal, the Centre d'exposition de Val d'Or, the Centre d'exposition de Rouyn-Noranda, La Galerie Montcalm, and Axe Neo-7. She has also participated in group exhibitions in Quebec, Ontario, France and Korea. Her video productions "Terra Terra" and "L’Essence des Souvenirs" were presented at the Rendez-vous du cinéma québécois, in Montreal, in 2000-2001. Her video trilogy: "Terra Incognita", "Terra Terra" and "Terra Magica" is part of The Ottawa Art Gallery's collection. (www.daimon.qc.ca)