- Insectarium
Following a call for applications that generated significant interest among artists with cross-disciplinary practices*, the Insectarium and the Conseil des arts de Montréal (CAM) are pleased to announce the recipients of an artist residency, which the two organizations have jointly organized for the past two years. They are: Caroline Hayeur and Léa Boudreau.
Given the number and quality of applications received, a decision was made to support two residency projects in 2025 instead of just one. The aim of these residencies is to support the creation of an art piece, over a six-month period, inspired by the rich and fascinating world of insects.
Caroline Hayeur – What do nocturnal insects do?
Drawing on over 30 years of experience in field photography, Caroline Hayeur is interested in different forms and places of social interaction, seen through a lens that blends documentary storytelling and visual poetry. Her artistic approach can be described as the “ethnology of everyday life.” She incorporates media arts, video and, more recently, infrared tools to capture the mysterious beauty of nocturnal life.
During her residency, Caroline will take a detailed look at the nocturnal activities of the museum’s insects and gather insights from its researchers. Together with sound artist Myléna Bergeron, she will develop a poetic, dreamlike and documentary-inspired project. The final work may take the form of a performance, exhibition or immersive installation.
Léa Boudreau – Swarm
Léa Boudreau creates sound, visual, interactive and site-specific pieces that explore relationships between humans and hybrid, ambiguous creatures. These creatures are a blend of technology and the natural world, some moving, some still. Her work explores inter-species relationships and the hierarchies dividing the world.
Her residency project will take the form of a kinetic and sound installation inspired by the concepts of swarm intelligence and emergence. Exploring our similarities with insects and encouraging us to think about our connection to them, the installation will feature numerous small electronic creatures interacting with each other and their immediate environment.
The residencies will take place at the Insectarium until September and culminate in public presentations. Date and location to be announced later.
A celebration of entomophilia
The public presentations resulting from the residencies are part of the Insectarium’s Celebrations of Entomophilia—a series of off-site events designed to promote appreciation for insects and their vital role in maintaining nature’s balance. The Celebrations aim to inspire artists from difference disciplines to share their discoveries, vision and enthusiasm with the public. Past events have featured creations in gastronomy, visual arts, electronic music and dance.
*Non-disciplinary or interdisciplinary artistic practices typically involve exploring new approaches to research, creation or production, and also experimenting with unique collaborations and/or innovative presentation methods (see full description at the CAM website).