Baie-Saint-Paul Hospital grounds, rue Alfred Morin
July 31 to August 24
Thursday to Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
_De nos rencontres se dessineront des paysage Through a documentary project combining photography and relationship art, Joannie Lafrenière sets out to meet seniors in the Charlevoix region with the intention of bringing them into the spotlight and raising their visibility in the public space. By spending quality time with seniors, including those living in CHSLDs, she hopes to forge a bond with them and thus create a space for dialogue and connection. Through encounters that will unfold in a spirit of listening and tenderness, she will work with them to create a series of photographic portraits using a more luminous approach, far removed from the prevailing miserabilism too often associated with the golden age.
Her hope is that this project will give rise to a sensitive body of photographs, as well as to new ways of nurturing empathy and making visible those who are overlooked, something that lies at the heart of the intentions Joannie cultivates through her daily life and her artistic practice.
_Biography Trained in journalism and photography, Joannie Lafrenière has been developing a practice combining photography, documentary film, relational art and visual arts for over fifteen years. Guided by encounters, she casts a sensitive eye on the world, nourished by the empathy she feels for the beautiful human beings who cross her path.
As a photographer, her work has been shown in museums, galleries and renowned publications. As a filmmaker, her films [Gabor (2021), King Lajoie (2019), Snowbirds (2017), La femme qui a vu l'ours (2015)] have been shown on television, in cinema and at various Canadian and international festivals. In 2023, she presented a poetic solo exhibition at the McCord-Stewart Museum about Hochelaga, her adopted neighborhood, which elicits in her awe and tenderness.
Joannie contemplates, loves, plays, creates and collaborates at Tiohtià:ke and wherever life has the generosity to guide her.
_Approach Combining her anthropological and sociological curiosity to her fascination for human beings, poetry, modern architecture, colors and the eloquence of everyday life, Joannie Lafrenière approaches documentary as an art of encounter. By creating meaningful links with the human beings who spark her curiosity, she chooses to bring them into light through documentary portraits rooted in listening, sensitivity, dialogue, acting and staging.
Through her documentary and social practice, Joannie pursues artistic and philosophical research on several fronts. Her approach reveals the singularity of her subjects and invites us to celebrate their uniqueness with tenderness, poetry and humanity.
Deeply grateful to be in a profession that cultivates a sense of shared humanity, she remains convinced that art is for everyone, and that it is a powerful vehicle for reflection and beauty.
