Maryse Goudreau. In the Eye of the Beluga

For the past ten years, Maryse Goudreau has turned her attention to the beluga whales of the St. Lawrence by creating a stirring work-archive in their honor. Committed to accompanying the animal during their slow decline, the Gaspesian artist is dedicating a series of photographic, sound, literary and sculptural works to the beluga whales. At the invitation of curator Noémie Fortin, she revisits this corpus through the eyes of a child, creating immersive installations where birth and extinction coexist.

This exhibition invites young visitors to take a deep dive into the world of the marine mammal through scenes of rescues, births, shipwrecks and encounters that appeal to the senses of hearing, touch and play. Through her ecofeminist approach, she recognizes the importance of inter-species filiation in caring for living things. She builds a sanctuary devoted to the animal and employs images of tenderness— including a beluga nursery and whale song listening circles—to spark the curiosity needed to enchant the world to come. By inviting us to immerse ourselves in the realm of the cetacean, to see ourselves in these animals and realize the impact of their imminent disappearance, Maryse Goudreau encourages us to change our perspective and see the world through the eyes of a beluga.

This exhibition is produced and circulated bu the Foreman Art Gallery of Bishop's University.