Camila Vásquez  –

May 2025

Looking back on the Festival du Doux after the residency ended brings out the unique nature and gentle power of this event. The images chosen capture its spirit and atmosphere. Here is a brief look back at some of its distinctive elements, many of which stand in contrast to what one might expect from a festival.

The suggested dress code on the invitation was slippers. Upon arrival, a map of the site helped visitors find their way around the open, low-density space, where the dimmed lighting and limited activities prevented over-saturation and accommodated different sensory needs. In a blurred and elastic temporality, the public was free to explore the different sections at their own pace: “Questions of Feeling,” “Sensory Library,” “Sweetness Over the City: Collective Drawing Exhibition,” “Relaxation Zone,” “Relics of the Social Art Residency,” “Living Receptacles: Collective Pottery Exhibition,” and “Sweet Provisions.”

An also flexible program invited the community to gather around moments orchestrated by artists in residence Anabelle Brochu and Lysanne Picard. Rather than headliners, the spotlight was first directed at the creations of two participants from Le Tremplin Art Hives: a slam poetry reading and a musical composition listened to in silence. This was followed by a mug oracle and a spring ritual proposed by Anabelle Brochu, which concluded with a warm and relaxed exchange.

_________
Photo: Jessica Renaud