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Le Programme D'art Public Du Fourth Plinth

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Le Programme D'art Public Du Fourth Plinth UNIVERSITÉ DU QUÉBEC À MONTRÉAL LE PROGRAMME D'ART PUBLIC DU FOURTH PLINTH. UNE BRÈCHE DANS LE DISCOURS COLONIALISTE ET IMPÉRIALISTE DU TRAFALGAR SQUARE MÉMOIRE PRÉSENTÉ COMME EXIGENCE PARTIELLE DE LA MAÎTRISE EN HISTOIRE DE L'ART PAR ORIANE ASSELIN-V AN COPPENOLLE NOVEMBRE 2017 UNIVERSITÉ DU QUÉBEC À MONTRÉAL Service des bibliothèques Avertissement La diffusion de ce mémoire se fait dans le respect des droits de son auteur, qui a signé le formulaire Autorisation de reproduire et de diffuser un travail de recherche de cycles supérieurs (SDU-522 - Rév.1 0-2015). Cette autorisation stipule que «conformément à l'article 11 du Règlement no 8 des études de cycles supérieurs, [l 'auteur] concède à l'Université du Québec à Montréal une licence non exclusive d'utilisation et de publication de la totalité ou d'une partie importante de [son] travail de recherche pour des fins pédagogiques et non commerciales. Plus précisément, [l'auteur] autorise l'Université du Québec à Montréal à reproduire, diffuser, prêter, distribuer ou vendre des copies de [son] travail de recherche à des fins non commerciales sur quelque support que ce soit, y compris l'Internet. Cette licence et cette autorisation n'entraînent pas une renonciation de [la] part [de l'auteur] à [ses] droits moraux ni à [ses] droits de propriété intellectuelle. Sauf entente contraire, [l 'auteur] conserve la liberté de diffuser et de commercialiser ou non ce travail dont [il] possède un exemplaire. » REMERCIEMENTS En tout premier lieu, je tiens à remercier spécialement ma directrice Annie Gérin qui m'a accompagnée à travers ce périple, au fil des diverses tangentes qu' a pris ce projet. Son support inestimable et ses nombreux encouragements m'ont permis de le mener à terme. À ce sujet, je ne peux omettre de souligner la présence continue de mes proches dans ce processus qui fut ponctué de nombreuses remises en question. Merci de votre précieux soutien. C'est en reconnaissant mes privilèges que je remercie également le soutien financier offert par le Conseil de recherche en sciences humaines du Canada (CRSH), qui m'a permis de me concentrer sur ma recherche, ainsi que la Bourse à la mobilité offerte par l'UQAM qui a contribué au financement mon voyage de recherche à Londres, lors de 1' été 2015. Je tiens aussi à remercier Kirsten Dunne et Michaella Crimmin pour leur accueil et leur généreux partage sur le programme d'art public du Fourth Plinth. De plus, je tiens à remercier le CELAT (Centre et laboratoires de recherche cultures, arts, sociétés) en raison du soutien financier offert à des projets que j'ai pu mener et qui ont enrichi mes recherches à plusieurs niveaux, mais surtout pour l'encadrement inspirant qu'il procure aux étudiantes et étudiants. Les rencontres, échanges et partages de connaissance que cet espace de travail permet sont fondamentaux. Et finalement, un immense merci à mes relectrices et relecteurs qui ont grandement participés à bonifier mon texte. TABLE DES MATIÈRES RÉSUMÉ ... .... ........................ .. ................ ..................... .. .. ... ............ ... ... .. ......... .. .... .. .... V INTRODUCTION ........................ ........ .......................... .. ... ........ ....... .... ............ .... ....... 1 CHAPITRE I ...... .................................................. .. ...... .. ... .. .. .. ... ................................ 11 LE TRAFALGAR SQUARE. SON HISTOIRE, SON PRÉSENT ....................... ..... 11 1.1 Création et développement du Trafalgar Square .... ........... .. ................. ............. 11 1.1.1 L'amiral Horatio Nelson, héros national.. .... .. .. ... ........... ..................... .. ... 11 1.1.2 Évolution urbanistique du Trafalgar Square .............. .............................. 12 1.1.3 Les héros militaires du Trafalgar Square ................................................. 17 1.2 Le Fourth Plinth, sa genèse, son programme et son aboutissement.. ................ 22 1.2.1 La Société Royale des Arts ..................... .. ........................ ....................... 22 1.2.2 World Squares for Al! : revitalisation du Trafalgar Square .......... ........ .... 28 1.2.3 Great London Authority (GLA) : héritage du parti travailliste de Tony Blair ............................................................................................ .. .. 29 1.2.4 Fonctionnement du Fourth Plinth Commissionning Group ..................... 33 Conclusion .... ........... .... .......... .. .. ................. ...... ... .............. ...... ........ ............................ 35 CHAPITRE II. .. .. ................................. ... .. .. .. ........ ..... .................. ... ........................ ..... 37 ESPACE PUBLIC POSTCOLONIAL PONCTUÉ DE MONUMENTS AU DISCOURS COLONIALISTE. QUELLES STRATÉGIES ADOPTÉES? ...... .. .. ..... 37 2.1 Promotion d'une identité nationale au Trafalgar Square ... .... .. .. .. ...................... 3 8 2.1.1 Londres, ville postcoloniale ... ............. ... .... ... ... .. .. .... .. ...... ........... .. ........... 38 2.1.2 Le Trafalgar Square, lieu de mémoire et espace discursif mouvant ..... .. .41 IV 2.2 Le monument de l' époque coloniale, un patrimoine contesté ..... ....... .... .... ..... .46 2.2.1 Préservation des monuments au discours colonialiste au XXIe siècle .... 46 2.2.2 « Passé blanc, présent multiculturel » ... ... .. ...... ........... ..... .. ...... .. ..... ...... ... 51 2.3 Décoloniser l'espace public .......................... ..... ........ ........... ......... ...... ..... .. ... .... 56 2.3. 1 Protestations contre les monuments au discours colonialiste à 1' international .......... ...... .. ... ................ .... .. ... ... ............. .. ... .. .... ... ... ............ 56 2.3.2 Stratégies de décolonisation de l' espace public ....... ... .............. .. ..... ........ 59 Conclusion ............ .......... .. ................ .... ............. .... ....... ........... ... ... .... ... .... .... .............. 64 CHAPITRE III ........... ........... ... .. .... ... .... .... .. .... .. ..... ...... ..... .. .. .. .. ..... .... .......... ...... .. .... ... 66 LE FOURTH PLINTH, CRÉATION D' UN ESPACE DISCURSIF .. .............. ....... ... 66 3.1 Œuvres issues du programme du Fourth Plinth ...... .... .... ........... .. ....... .... .......... 67 3 .1.1 One & Other d'Antony Gormley, 2009 ....... ..... ..... ... ... ... .... .. .................. 68 3.1.2 Nelson 's Ship in a Bottle de Yinka Shonibare MBE, 201 0 .. ... .. ... .... .. ... .. 74 3.1.3 Hahn/Cock de Katharina Fritsch, 2013 .... .... ... .. ........ .... .. .. .............. ... ... .. 77 3.2 Le Fourth Plinth et l'ouverture du discours impérialiste du Trafalgar Square . 81 3.2.1 Le Fourth Plinth, programme d' œuvres ancrées dans le site ................... 81 3.2.2 Le temporaire en art public .. .. .............. .... ..... ... ... .. ............. ................. ..... 86 3.2.3 Le Fourth Plinth, un espace interstiel ? ..... .... .... .... .. .... ............... ...... ..... .. 92 3.3 Fourth Plinth, programme d'art public spectaculaire en phase avec le capitalisme culturel ? ........... ......................... ............. ........ .. .... ...... .. ............. ..... 94 Conclusion ... ........ ... ... ... ..... ............... .. ... ........ ..... .. ......... .. ... ..... .. ....................... ... .. ..... 99 CONCLUSION .. .... .... ... ..... ......... ..... .... ....... ... .. ......... ... .. ........... .. ... .. ... ...... .. .... .. ........ 101 ANNEXE A FIGURES ........... .. ... ... .............. ............. ...... ...... ... .... .. ...... ...... .. ...... ...... ..... ................ 108 BIBLIOGRAPHIE ... ............................... ........ ........... .. ....... ..... ............... ......... ... ..... 114 RÉSUMÉ Le Trafalgar Square est une place publique au cœur de Londres, capitale du Royaume-Uni. Il est à la fois le vestige d'une autre époque- celle d'un impérialisme glorieux et du colonialisme britannique-, le foyer de manifestations et le réceptacle d'œuvres d'art public actuel issues du programme d'art public du Fourth Plinth. Ce programme d'art public, instauré au tournant du XX:Ie siècle, se démarque de par sa caractéristique d' investir un seul et même espace, un socle datant du XIXe siècle, avec des œuvres d'art actuel qui s'y succèdent environ à tous les 18 mois. Ce mémoire se penche sur le lien dialogique qui s'établit entre le programme d' art public du Fourth Plinth et la place publique dans laquelle il s' incarne. Les monuments qui se situent au Trafalgar Square commémorent et idéalisent des personnages historiques masculins blancs ayant participé à l'expansion de l'Empire britannique. Comme le soulève ce mémoire, la préservation des monuments qui glorifient l'époque coloniale mérite d'être davantage remise en question. Leur impact négatif sur la société multiethnique et postcoloniale de Londres se fait ressentir en raison du déploiement d'un discours colonialiste hégémonique. Ce mémoire soutient que l' impermanence des œuvres d'art public contribue à ouvrir le discours inhérent à cette place publique, en favorisant la création d'un espace non défini. Chaque œuvre engage à une démultiplication des enjeux déployés dans l' espace public. Par conséquent, le programme participe à complexifier la visiOn de l'identité nationale traditionnellement véhiculée par le Trafalgar Square. Toutefois, ce programme d'art public sert aussi d'outil de promotion à la ville de Londres et semble ainsi lié au capitalisme culturel qui
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