Useful information
➤ Exhibition from June 18 to September 30, 2025
➤ In the heart of the village of Saint-Alexis-des-Monts
Opening: Wednesday, June 18, 5 pm, in the artist's presence
Microbrasserie Nouvelle-France
90, rang de la Rivières-aux-Écorces
Saint-Alexis-des-Monts (Québec) J0K 1V0
Each guest will be offered a beer and some bites — trout bites, of course! 🐟
No reservation required.
Confirmation of your attendance would be appreciated.
LOCATIONS OF THE 9 WORKS IN THE EXHIBITION
An exhibit for Saint-Alexis, with the people of Saint-Alexis
Visual artist Catherine Rondeau is bringing her creativity to the heart of Saint-Alexis-des-Monts with a series of public art pieces that are as playful as they are unexpected. This summer, the village transforms into an open-air museum: a stretch of surreal photomontages will appear on the exterior walls of houses along Notre-Dame Street — the main road — covering nearly a kilometer.
Intriguing images that amuse, captivate… and are sure to delight fishing enthusiasts! Since Saint-Alexis-des-Monts is known as the brook trout capital, the theme of the exhibition came naturally: trout — like you’ve never seen them before! Some reach eight, even twelve feet in length. And the people featured alongside them? Local residents, just as impressive.
Artistic approach
The exhibition’s aesthetic relies on formal simplicity and strong visual impact. There are no sets or backgrounds: the figures and their fish are precisely cut out, creating the illusion that they are emerging directly from the walls. The black-and-white treatment unifies the series and allows the works to stand out against a visually busy environment. This choice also recalls the early days of photography, adding an intriguing contrast between apparent realism and digital manipulation.
By featuring local residents, the artist aims to spark a sense of community connection: you might spot a mother, a cousin, a great-aunt, or a neighbor… In a small town where “everyone knows everyone,” viewers may very well recognize themselves.
About the artist
Now a resident of Saint-Alexis-des-Monts, Catherine Rondeau took part in La Course destination monde in 1993–1994, a popular Radio-Canada television program in which young creators travelled the world producing short films. She holds a Fine Arts degree from Concordia University and a Master’s in Communication from UQAM. Her research into fairy tales and the function of imagination informs a distinctive photographic approach, in which digital image manipulation intentionally blurs the line between reality and fiction. A recipient of several grants, she has presented a dozen solo exhibitions across Quebec.
Partners
This project received financial support through the Programme de partenariat territorial de la Mauricie, under the auspices of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec. The artist also warmly thanks her local partners, the citizens who posed for the works, and the homeowners who generously agreed to host them on their walls.
Press release
If you are a journalist, get the PDF version of the press release (in French).