TOURING EXHIBITION
In the Eye of the Beluga
Artists
Maryse Goudreau
Curator
Noémie Fortin
Overview
As a child, Maryse Goudreau dreamt of becoming a beluga whale. Today, the Gaspesian artist draws on her childhood love for the animal to create an artwork-archive in their honor, pledging to accompany them during their slow decline. For the past fifteen years, she has dedicated a series of photographic, sound, literary, and sculptural works to the white whales – now endangered in the St. Lawrence River – casting an empathetic gaze on the species, a sentinel of climate change in the North.
With the collaboration of curator Noémie Fortin, Maryse revisits this body of work with a child’s eyes and creates immersive installations where birth and extinction coexist. Aimed at young audiences, the exhibition In the Eye of the Beluga calls upon listening, touch, and play. The artist builds a sanctuary dedicated to the animal and uses images imbued with care, such as those of a beluga nursery and whale-song listening circles. Threaded throughout is the story of her encounter with Nepi, a young beluga stranded in the Nepisiguit River, whom she watched over.
By inviting us to immerse ourselves in the world of this marine mammal and to become aware of the consequences of its imminent disappearance, Maryse compels us to shift our perspective to see the world through the eye of a beluga.
This touring exhibition is supported by the Canada Council for the arts.
Artist
Maryse Goudreau creates environments that guide us through ecological challenges. Her work unfolds in the form of books, dramaturgy, cinematic narratives, and visual art exhibitions that emerge from conversations, shared experiences with various scientific actors, and artistic collaborations. Since 2012, she has been creating an artwork-archive dedicated to beluga whales. Her various projects broaden the circle of ecological compassion. She lives and works in Escuminac, along the Baie-des-Chaleurs where she grew up.
Her most recent exhibitions have been presented at the Centre d’art de Kamouraska (2025), the Biosphere (Montreal, 2024), the Galerie de l’UQAM (Montreal, 2024), the Galerie d’art Foreman (Sherbrooke, 2023), MOMENTA Biennale de l’image (Montreal, 2021), and the Venice Biennale (PHI Centre Pavilion, Venice, 2019). She has published Histoire sociale du béluga and La conquête du béluga with Éditions Escuminac.
Curator
Originally from Lac-Mégantic, Noémie Fortin is an author and independent curator based in the Eastern Townships. She lives with her family on the traditional and unceded territory of the W8banaki Nation, the Ndakina, where she accompanies artistic, agricultural and community initiatives focused on caring for the living. Attuned to practices grounded in ecofeminist thinking, her research focuses on ecological art that moves outside of institutions to engage with territories and communities, particularly in rural areas.
Her most recent curatorial projects have been presented at the Centre d’art de Kamouraska, the Montreal Biosphere, Manif d’art 11, and the Foreman Art Gallery. She has also curated outdoor exhibitions at the Rozynski Art Centre, Adélard, 3e Impérial, and RURART. Her writings have been published in a number of specialized magazines, including Esse arts + opinion, Vie des Arts, Le Sabord, Ciel variable, and Espace art actuel.
Itinerary
Past
Montreal Biosphere, June 15, 2024 to April 20, 2025
Centre d’art de Kamouraska, June 13, 2025, to September 1, 2025
Galerie d’art Louise-et-Reuben-Cohen, Moncton University, October 8, 2025 to December 14, 2025
