EARTHLY ALLIANCES | Indoor Exhibition
29 August 2026
7 September 2026
Mélanie O'Bomsawin
Senimikwaldamw8gan – Mémoire de pierre
Visual Art
Saturday 29 August 2026, at 5 PM
DesPrés | Studio A — 57, Main Street North, Sutton (Quebec)
Biography
First a mother, then a daughter and granddaughter, Mélanie O’Bomsawin is also a video editor and new media artist. She works with video in all its forms to explore her connections with those who came before her and those who will follow. In her practice, she is interested in questions of identity, language, traditions, memory, and transmission. Scenic and architectural projections, gallery installations, and cultural mediation are some of the tools she uses to explore these themes. She creates for past and future generations. O’Bomsawin is a member of the Abenaki community of Odanak and currently lives in Tiohtià:ke / Mooniyaang / Montreal.
Approach
Stones have existed for millennia; they have witnessed the birth of rivers, the journeys of ancestors, and are still here. They thus carry the memory of all that has crossed their path. The installation is made of stones collected from the ancestral territories of the artist’s grandfathers and placed on shelves in which small loudspeakers are hidden. By approaching the devices, it is possible to hear sound recordings that the artist made with her grandfathers.
How to ensure these voices are carried to future generations? By paying tribute to her grandfathers and their territories, the artist offers a reflection on archiving, lineage, and transmission.
