Repère sidéral explores forms of imagery that have shaped the way we think about, measure and represent the world, particularly the celestial realm. Florence Viau focuses on how our systems of knowledge are constructed through images. Here, the dot emerges as a fundamental mark, whether indented, raised, incandescent or suspended. It traces the path of our observations directed toward the sky and beyond. The artist is also interested in the physical media through which images emerge, such as the screen today, or, in earlier times, stone. It is through the act of doing, through contact with matter, that the imprint becomes a reference point.
The works, created between 2022 and today, repeatedly invoke the notion of the body, both as a tool of perception and as a vehicle of knowledge. The relationship to the body becomes central to reflecting on how humans have sought—and continue to seek—to assimilate, interpret and symbolize knowledge of the firmament. The celestial, poised between figuration and abstraction, becomes a space where scientific observation, sensory experience and symbolic construction intersect.
This exhibition is presented as part of Plein solo, a major initiative led by artch – emerging contemporary art that offers six emerging visual artists the opportunity to present their first solo exhibition in major cultural institutions across Quebec.
The MBSL has partnered with Est-Nord-Est, an artist residency in Saint-Jean-Port-Joli, to provide an enriching experience for the invited artist. Florence Viau completed a creative residency there in spring 2025 ahead of presenting her solo exhibition at the Musée du Bas-Saint-Laurent.
