CONFERENCES
THE ENGINEERING OF EMPTINESS (IN FRENCH)
When Labrador Iron Meets the Thought of Alain Deneault
2026 | OCTOBER 15 – GALERIE INGANG
The iron ore extracted from the open-pit mines of Labrador West is more than just a raw material; it is the sediment of our own concessions. By affixing the technical warning "not for construction use" to a series of paintings depicting the "landscapes" of mining infrastructure, artist-engineer Stéphane Lajoie shatters the grand narrative of industrial solidity.
This raw, fragile iron—unfit to support our infrastructure—becomes a mirror for a political and economic architecture that is fractured from within. It is here, in the outcropping of this flawed rock, that the uncompromising thought of Alain Deneault takes shape.
This cross-disciplinary lecture bridges the visual explorations of the artist-engineer with concepts developed in three major essays by the philosopher:
• Paradis sous terre (Underground Paradise): A critique of Canada’s deregulated extractive capitalism.
• De quoi Total est-elle la somme ? (What Is Total the Sum Of?): An analysis of the anti-democratic power wielded by
multinational corporations.
• Faire que! L'engagement politique à l'ère de l'inouï (Making It Happen! Political Engagement in an Unprecedented
Era): A call to reject docility and the notion of economic inevitability.
Combining the philosophy of Alain Deneault with the compromised steel of Stéphane Lajoie raises a fundamental question: what are we building while the foundations of our legal, ecological, and financial systems crumble? If the iron from Labrador West cannot be used for construction, let it at least serve as a lever to dismantle the empire of multinational corporations and restore meaning to political action.
An essential discussion for anyone wishing to explore the intersections of art, engineering, the economics of nature, and political philosophy.
ART-POLITICS (IN FRENCH)
Discussions on an Engaged Creative Practice
2026 | SEPTEMBER 26 – LES JOURNÉES DE LA CULTURE – GALERIE INGANG
A lecture by artist-engineer Stéphane Lajoie, exploring an engaged artistic practice that bridges art, politics, and professional experience in civil engineering. The lecture defines "political art" as creative work that questions power structures, takes a stance on social issues, and seeks to spark transformation. The concept of "Arte Útil" (Useful Art) further develops this approach by prioritizing concrete, collaborative, and sustainable interventions that provide direct utility to communities. The ensuing discussion invites the audience to reflect on the catalysts, objectives, and methods behind an engaged artistic practice.
The exhibition Labrador West is based on photographs of mining installations taken in 2014, which were subsequently deconstructed and reconstructed into five paintings, complemented by a sculptural collage and reproductions on acrylic. The work examines the contradictions inherent in the extractive industry, its environmental and social impacts, and the global flow of resources. Rather than stopping at mere denunciation, the exhibition seeks to weave critique into the creative process and public participation. Ultimately, it prompts a reflection on energy sobriety, extractivism, and the capacity of art to foster collective transformation.
THE DIGITAL WORLD - MENTAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION (IN FRENCH)
2025 | SEPTEMBER 28th – LES JOURNÉE DE LA CULTURE - INGANG GALLERY
A talk by Artist-Engineer Stéphane Lajoie, PhD candidate in Communication Sciences Maud Boisnard, and Web Developer Mathieu Bénard on the digital revolution and its impact on our lifestyles.
“Many people believe they can change the nature of people, but they are wasting their time. You can’t change the nature of people. However, you can transform the tools and techniques they use.
That’s how we will change the world.”
- Stewart Brand, American writer
Quoted in “The Game” by Alessandro Baricco, 2018
SOLUTIONS FOR A HUMAN FACE ALTERSYSTEM (IN FRENCH)
2025 | MARCH 1st – NUIT BLANCHE À MONTRÉAL - GALERIE INGANG
Conference by artist-engineer Stéphane Lajoie on possible alternatives to reproduced neoliberal globalization divisions and inequalities question.
At a time when world's population large sections are excluded from the rich countries relative prosperity, while the West (and other industrialized countries) are withdrawing into a nationalist and reactionary insularity, the time has come to think of solutions other than those proposed by neoliberalism to the problems that this capitalist thinking has itself created.
How can we rethink the economy of nature, social relations and economic protectionism at a time when political and commercial dereliction situations are beginning to appear? In an artistic context, the INGANG gallery invites you to a discussion on alternatives to the dominant consumerist model and the perspectives of Quebec as a space that should allow, through crossbreeding, to build bridges between civilizations, languages and cultures.
HAITI: THE IMPOSTURE OF HUMANITARIAN AID (IN FRENCH)
2024 | SEPTEMBER 5th – UQAM
A conference on the other side of international aid, the mechanisms of the enslavement of the Haitian population and possible solutions to break the cycle of dependency that results from it. With Frédéric Thomas, political scientist at the Tricontinental Center, sociologist Frédéric Boisrond and Claudia Thomas Riché, nurse and director of Nursing Education Collaborative for Haiti.