In the practice of my art, I try to stage the way we perceive and build the “real” by casting our desires into it, by transgressing reality by means of the fabrication of the marvellous. My work recalls the vulnerability of humankind, faced with the inevitable discrepancy between desire and reality. My artistic practice takes shape in large-size, often ephemeral installations, which are more often than not achieved in situ.

The intent of my installations is to invite the onlooker to experience a phantasmagorical setting, self-tinkered, obviously contrived, highly recreational, where the commonplace leads to amazement. In my installations, deliberate flashy effects of mirrors, coloured lights, stroboscopes and other eye-catching devices magnify a bewildering array of bric-a-brac arrangements; however the precariousness of the structure, or else the unbearable play of the lighting make the awesome sight collapse like a house of cards. The oscillation between the pleasure of the aesthetic illusion and its unavoidable breakdown is akin to the experiences of illusions and disillusions strewn through our lives.

Catherine Bolduc