Catherine Arsenault

© Nos rivages 2024-2025 Graphite, paper, video

Date

February 28 to April 19, 2026

Location

Oeil de poisson

Nos rivages

Description of the exhibition

In her practice, Catherine Arsenault addresses natural phenomena that she observes in isolated areas. For Nos rivages, she produced dozens of drawings at different junctions of the St. Lawrence River and then transformed them into a video animation. This illustrated excursion constitutes her exploration of “our deep and intimate connection with the St. Lawrence River.”

In image after image, waves and eddies assert the majestic yet devastating power of water. The drawings’ perspective gives us the impression that we are sailing, and we find ourselves physically engaged as we, too, are at the mercy of the current. The countless drawings demonstrate not only the gestures of her hand but also the repetition—like the endless motion of the waves—that her process requires. Once transformed into animation, the drawings reveal a kind of dance in which the water’s movement is interlaced with hers. This bodily expression unfolds on a larger scale in the form of a coastline sculpted out of paper residue. The graphite waves thus wash ashore on her reconstituted shoreline.

Artist biography

Catherine Arsenault

(Born and based in Baie-Comeau, Québec, Canada)

Through her practice, Catherine Arsenault invites us to reflect on the interconnections between humans and their environment. Transposing her sculptures and drawings into video animations, she examines the organizations, systems, and phenomena that can be observed in remote areas. Named the Artist of the Year (2023) by the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec for the Côte-Nord region, she has presented her work across the province, and her films have been screened in Finland, Iceland, and Denmark, among other countries.

Discover the artist

Catherine Arsenault
An artist whose practice combines drawing, sculpture, and animation to explore the connections between the body, territory, and natural phenomena.
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