IN THE EYE OF THE BELUGA

Canadian Tour in Progress* / Curator Noémie Fortin
 


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 exhibition is produced and circulated by the Foreman Art Gallery of Bishop’s University with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. The artist and curator would like to thank the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and the Conseil des arts du Canada for its support in the creation and circulation of this exhibition, as well as the Hydro-Québec Collection for the loan of an artwork.


* Comming exibition : Musée Le Chafaud (Percé, Québec) in collaboration with Rencontres de la photographie en Gaspésie and Vaste et Vague Artists’ Centre /  July 2–September 2, 2026