Retooled Appliances · Michel de Broin

bitforms gallery presents Retooled Appliances, the inaugural U.S. solo exhibition by Montreal-based artist Michel de Broin. A 2007 Sobey Art Award recipient, de Broin is recognized for interventions involving the re-functionalization of utilitarian objects. His conceptually-grounded practice derives complexity from found objects and physical arrangements, establishing novel technological environments and public space possibilities. His work often appears puzzle-like initially, rewarding closer viewer engagement. The exhibition features five pieces exploring technological consciousness, resistance, and entropy through assemblage, video, and photography. Notable works include Keep on Smoking — a bicycle generating electrical current to power a smoke machine — and Overpower, featuring a bronze knight figure pulsing with 10,000 volts to ignite a broken bulb. Michel de Broin (b. 1970) is based in Montreal. Major solo exhibitions include the Musée d'Art Contemporain de Montréal (2013), Plug In Institute (2009), and institutions in France and Germany. He received the 2007 Sobey Art Award plus grants from the Harpo and Pollock-Krasner Foundations. He holds an MFA from L'Université du Québec à Montréal and BFA from Concordia University.