Madison Beale and Lauren McNaughton have brought the art gallery experience to their apartment. Last weekend, the pair hosted their first home art show, Maison Milieu, the name stemming from their muddling of the boundaries between studio, gallery and artist’s space.
The name lends itself to this “in-between,” Beale shared. “‘Maison,’ because it’s a house, ‘Milieu,’ because again, we’re kind of working in the middle of things.” Beginning without a curatorial theme, this idea was strengthened as the show came together. “We realized the work really is dealing with existing between two things,” Beale added.
Curated by Beale and McNaughton, the exhibit uses these existing themes of “middle” by seeing art from multiple perspectives. “There is not necessarily this division between art and life for a lot of artists,” Beale said. “But for people as viewers, we often think that art needs to exist within the institution […] Tonight is kind of a mix of both.”
“It’s not traditional gallery space,” shared McNaughton. The art show was spread out over the communal space of their apartment, sharing its walls with Beale and McNaughton’s personal art collection. “We were […] debating back and forth if we should take our collection down or if we should keep it up.” McNaughton added, “I have a couple pieces I’ve created, but a lot of it is my personal collection, which I think also adds […] the homeliness and the personality of the house. It brings a connection to us.”
Working within the confines of an apartment, Beale shared that there were unique challenges to organizing an art show in the space. “Working within those constraints has actually allowed us to be very creative and create a really fun environment.” One particularly eye-catching piece was Margot Morrish’s “Transit,” created this year for the U of M’s master of fine arts honour showcase. Displayed in the living room of the apartment, the space was enveloped by the nail-dyed fabric that consisted of the largest part of the piece, while the nails sat on a tablecloth-clad coffee table. “I love that it’s been given a new context being in this show,” Beale shared.
Ultimately, Maison Milieu succeeded in its goal of crossing the middle ground. “I want this to be an example of what an art exhibition can be,” shared McNaughton. “I think art exhibitions can go beyond […] a cement floor and white walls, and I think art deserves to be in different contexts and created in different ways.”
Stay tuned for future Maison Milieu endeavors by following them on Instagram
@maisonmilieugallery.
