In the "digital desert", where information has become tiny grains of sand that appear to form a whole but ultimately only form a "mass", discovering the work of artists has become a high-risk digital curation sport seemingly only suitable for digital natives.
In this desert, we discovered Clara Cousineau. A multidisciplinary artist born in Quebec and based in Montreal. Her practice, through the decontextualization—and consequently, revaluation—of the domestic, brings us closer to the everyday objects we find, focusing our attention on the small things.
We spoke with Clara Cousineau. A CACO interview
1. We'd love to start by getting to know you. Tell us who you are, how you define yourself as an artist, where you're from, and where you currently live.
To me, being an artist means paying close attention to the details of everyday life—to the blind spots, to the way we look at the world and at things. It begins as a reflective stance, both intellectual and intuitive, and then takes form through material or immaterial means.
I grew up in Québec City and I’m now based in Montréal, where I live and work. While I primarily exhibit my work in Montréal, I also occasionally show it abroad. I collaborate with Klotz Shows gallery in Brussels, located in the Rivoli gallery district. I’ve never participated in an international residency yet, but it’s something I’m genuinely interested in pursuing in the near future.
2. We see that you've explored different techniques in your work, but conceptual installation and the use of objects to create a narrative predominate. What is that dialogue with objects like, and why do you choose them? What do they contain? What is it about installation and working with physical materials that resonates so much with you?
Found objects are central to my artistic practice. When a shape or material unexpectedly crosses my path and sparks my curiosity, there’s something almost magical about that encounter. I often feel as though it’s the objects that find me— objects that still carry untold stories, whose trajectories are not yet complete. I’m interested in the symbolism of the objects we coexist with, in how they act as artifacts, and how our bodies engage with their physical presence.
3. There's a cinematic essence to the concepts of the installations you create, and in general to how you express and communicate your work. What's the reason behind this?
It’s interesting to hear that my work evokes a cinematic quality. I often approach my exhibitions the way one might imagine the scenography of a film or a play. Each installation is its own self-contained universe, operating through a specific methodology that disrupts conventional communication and invites new interpretations. I aim to create immersive, sensory, and enveloping experiences. I also enjoy integrating playfulness through interactive works—pieces that must be decoded or physically handled—fostering a deeper intimacy between the viewer and the artwork.
4. We discovered you at CACO through your work Chromatic Calendars. The chromatic balance creates a fascinating and meditative visual state. How did this piece come about and why?
The color harmony in this body of work results from a completely uncalculated process. The Chromatic Calendars series emerged as part of the exhibition L’alternance des couleurs, which explores the relationship between the body and emotions through cyclical experience. For six months prior to the exhibition, I engaged in a daily practice: each morning, I recorded my body temperature upon waking, and each evening, I noted a dominant emotion felt during the day. These data points were then associated with color charts and translated into textile compositions using hand-dyed organic cotton. Through these simple, attentive gestures, a temporal portrait takes shape—an invitation to turn one’s gaze inward.
5. In your work with everyday objects—such as fruit, a notebook, or a light bulb—you also engage with the idea of the domestic object. How do you decontextualize these everyday elements to generate new narratives?
I’m drawn to objects that hold transformative potential—objects whose materiality and symbolism are malleable, often mundane, found in multiples, and tied to routine. I believe human behavior is shaped through habits, repetition, and daily rituals. That’s why these seemingly ordinary objects carry a kind of essential truth for me— they become vehicles for deeper narratives when removed from their original context.
6. You create a kind of performative and conceptual surrealism, where color seems to draw us into playful spaces. Color appears through one or two elements, in a subtle and specific way. Why do you use color this way?
My multidisciplinary practice often blurs the lines between mediums. I explore both their limits and their completeness. Through visual camouflage and role-swapping between elements, I create a constant interplay between two-dimensional and three dimensional forms. The chromatic neutrality of my compositions enhances the uniqueness of silhouettes and erases traces of previous use, thus stripping the objects of their function. The final forms of these works reveal acts of détournement, where the banal becomes strange through a process of aesthetic transformation.
7. You presented an exhibition titled L'alternance des couleurs. What was the curatorial process for this show, and what were you trying to convey and express through it?
The exhibition L’alternance des couleurs is rooted in small, attentive daily gestures— acts of observation and association. It creates a temporal portrait that serves as both an entry point into my artistic universe and an invitation for the viewer to engage in their own self-reflection.
8. What does working with color mean to you? What does it awaken in your inner, spiritual self?
There’s something deeply satisfying and stimulating about working with color that I find hard to explain. It’s a sensory and emotional experience that resonates within me and brings me a true sense of happiness.
9. If you had to choose just one color, which would you choose?
I think I would choose green, not only because it’s associated with nature, but also because of its use in cinema—green screens, for instance. To me, green holds infinite transformative potential; it’s a color that can morph into any other. That said, I truly love all colors!
