EXPOSURE
from a handful of soil;
commissioner |
Noémie Fortin
artists |
Amélie Bélanger, naakita fk, Frédéric Lavoie, Anne-Marie Proulx, Eve Tagny
exposure;
from 18/05 to 09/11/2025
opening;
Saturday, May 17, starting at 2 p.m.
Adélard is pleased to present "In a Handful of Soil ," a collective outdoor exhibition taking place in the Frelighsburg garden cemeteries from May 17 to November 9, 2025.
The exhibition's curator, Noémie Fortin, proposes a re-examination of the concept of the garden cemetery, a common practice in rural areas of the Eastern Townships during the 19th century, which allowed for the creation of a space dedicated to the contemplation of nature and the remembrance of the deceased. The exhibition presents site-specific works by five artists who explore the theme of ecological mourning through an artistic journey spread across five emblematic sites of Frelighsburg's funerary heritage.
By weaving connections between the past, present, and possible futures, the works of Amélie Bélanger, naakita fk, Frédéric Lavoie, Anne-Marie Proulx, and Eve Tagny offer a reflection on the erosion of collective memory and ecological resilience. Their outdoor installations explore the sense of loss in the face of our changing natural environment, as well as the decline of commemorative rituals and practices in contemporary human societies.
The exhibition is accompanied by a program of activities, including creative workshops, lectures on funerary heritage and guided bike tours (see below).
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from a handful of earth;
a final farewell;in a handful of soil;
more holiday organizers
that humans are on EarthNestled within five garden cemeteries bordering the village of Frelighsburg, in-between worlds emerge where life and death intertwine in the same soil. The roots of plants intersect with human, animal, and mineral presences. The earth bears the traces of those who worked the land; bodies buried where it was cultivated.
We carry them there, we bury them. We watch over them, we reflect there. We forget.
Somewhere between gardens and cemeteries, each situated at the edge of a field, burial grounds become spaces for the soothing of memories, for contemplating nature, and for maintaining a connection with life. Wandering through these burial sites, the works gathered for the exhibition "In a Handful of Soil" activate them as vibrant spaces. The invited artists leave behind gestures, fragments, stories, and hopes, revealing the cemetery not as an end, but as a threshold.
Each artwork engages with the specific characteristics of its site, revealing the stories, invisible connections, and potential for healing held within these silent places. Cemeteries become sanctuaries of listening and resonance, gardens of memory where temporalities and species intersect. Some commemorative acts initiated by the artists take the form of an invitation to reflect on our own role in collective narratives and how the earth bears the marks of what we choose to silence or transmit.
It's about biodiversity in places of death and ecological mourning; about accompanying species during their decline, about honoring landscapes destined to disappear. About gathering wild fruits, about knowledge passed down between cultures and generations. About making visible what landscapes tend to conceal. About displaced, erased bodies, about marginalized stories, about forgotten presences. About giving voice to ghosts, about listening to them. About drawing on the elemental power of fire to contemplate the end and what might survive it.
In a world in flux, cemeteries become a place to watch over not only the dead, but also the living.
Through these outdoor installations, the artists weave sensitive connections between past, present, and possible futures. Their works offer a reflection on the alteration of collective memory and ecological resilience. They question the feeling of loss in the face of a changing natural environment, but also in the face of the decline of rituals and commemorative practices in our contemporary societies.
By deploying their works in these highly symbolic places, the artists remind us that in a handful of earth death, mourning, revolt, hope and the persistence of life can coexist.
Regarding the commissioner
Photo credit: Vincent Beaulieu
Originally from Lac-Mégantic, Noémie Fortin is a curator, author, and cultural worker based in the Eastern Townships. She lives with her family on the unceded traditional territory of the W8banaki Nation, Ndakina, where she supports artistic, agricultural, and community-based initiatives focused on caring for all living things. With a sensitivity to practices rooted in ecofeminist thought, she concentrates her research on art that moves beyond institutions to engage with territories and communities, particularly in rural areas.
Her most recent curatorial projects have been presented at the Kamouraska Art Centre, the Montreal Biosphere, Manif d'art 11, the Foreman Art Gallery, 3e impérial, and RURART. Her writing has been published in various specialized journals, including Esse arts + opinion, Vie des arts, and Le Sabord. She studied art history at Bishop's and Concordia Universities.
What about the artists?
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
TIPS FOR THE VISIT
We offer a unique visitor experience, which may take some time to fully grasp the spirit of the exhibition. Some cemeteries are located in fairly remote areas and are not always easily accessible due to the vagaries of the natural cycle.
Warning: Clark Burying Ground is located on the north side of Richford Road (do not go to Abbot's Corner Cemetery #1 on the south side).
During the summer months, we advise you to bring your mosquito repellent.
If you have limited time to visit the exhibition, we recommend prioritizing sites number 1, 5 and 6.
BIKE TOUR
We suggest visiting the exhibition by electric bike, the best way to discover the exhibition and the landscapes along the route. The route takes between 2 hours 15 minutes and 3 hours to complete.
If you're using a mountain bike, the route is very difficult at Joy Hill and in certain sections of the Pinnacle trail. We therefore recommend it for experienced cyclists.
For bicycle rentals, please contact:
Ravito Bed & Bike (mountain bike);
ravitobednbike.com / 438 838 5457
E Mobility Café - Dunham (electric bike);
emobilitecafe.com / 819 640 8780
public program
Opening and meet the artists
Saturday, May 17, starting at 2 p.m.
Guided bike tours
June 22, July 20, August 16 and October 12, 2025, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Registration required - register here
Guided tour with the curator, Noémie Fortin
Sunday, July 27, at 3 p.m.
Registration required - register here
Conference by Denyse Beaugrand-Champagne
Hearse, undertaker and funerals, theft of corpses and what else?
Sunday, November 2nd, at 2pm
In partnership with the Frelighsburg Heritage and Heritage Society
Free - registration required - register here
