Nouveaux Troglodytes, by Philippe Blanchard
This week in arts is a sort of passe-partout, featuring a particular nod to Québécois culture — a photo exhibit that examines French as a second language, a beloved kids’ show for pretty much all citizens of la belle province and a whole range of local artists doing their thing.
Famed Franco-American experimental artist Babette Mangolte recounts, through audiovisual pieces, film and performance, the tale of her time spent in New York in the ’70s in an eponymous solo show at VOX. A recurring theme in Mangolte’s work is the understanding of the human anatomy; how the body moves in a particular space. Vernissage Jan. 24, VOX (2 Ste-Catherine E., #401), 5 p.m., free
For so many of us growing up in Montreal, the French language has been as important to our culture as our mother tongue. Melanie Lambrick’s French School/École française is a documentary photo exhibit looking at adults learning French as a second language — surely something all Montrealers might benefit from checking out. It is, after all, “notre home” (yep, said that). Vernissage Jan. 24, Visual Voice Gallery (Belgo Building, 372 Ste-Catherine W., #421), 5 p.m.

Head over to Centre Clark for two stirring events over one night: first, Les queues de comète, by Claudie Gagnon, uses everyday household objects to form what appear to be comet tails, or “satellites,” that are suspended from the ceiling to form systems that dangle into the space below. Then, head over to Gallery 2, where Karen Kraven’s As Above, So Below provokes the viewer to imagine a scenario from the experience of looking on the predominantly black and white photography. Vernissage(s) Jan. 24, Centre Clark (5455, de Gaspé, #114), 8 p.m.
At ARPRIM this week, an all-encompassing audiovisual installation by Philippe Blanchard will be on exhibition, entitled Nouveaux Troglodytes. A synchronized array of projectors and strobe lights will light up sculptures in the room, all to a very trance-like soundtrack. It’s a play on caves, fire, prehistoric lives and worlds of the past. Vernissage Jan. 25, Arprim (Belgo Building, 372 Ste-Catherine W., #426), 5:30 p.m., free
This week, Living in 10 Easy Lessons heads to Articule. The arguably controversial video installation by Linda Duvall and Peter Kingstone focuses on the lives of sex trade workers. Each film features featuring lessons taught by the sex workers (one example is how to apply fake eyelashes) featured in the films. Vernissage Jan. 25, Articule (262 Fairmount W.) 7 p.m., discussion Jan. 26, 3 p.m., free ■
Check out our complete listings for more great performance, stage and gallery events.