An immersive open-air art exhibition exploring the interdependence between the human body and nature.
📍 Malvina CPC (Creation and Presentation Center), 309 chemin de Malvina, Saint-Malo, Quebec
Essential Connections: The Body and the Environment is a multi-year artistic and scientific project by Van Grimde Corps Secrets (VGCS) that examines the evolving relationship between the human body, ecosystems, and the climate crisis. From 2024 to 2028, the project unfolds as an immersive series of site-specific installations in the natural surroundings of Malvina CPC, located in the Eastern Townships region of Quebec.
Visitors will encounter outdoor works that blend visual art, soundscapes, video, and contemporary dance, integrated directly into forests, fields, rivers, and ponds. These artworks are not designed to dominate the land — they are conceived as part of a living, evolving artistic ecosystem.
Artists that leave their trace onsite
A sound installation by Scott Smallwood (University of Alberta), paintings and mixed media engravings from Sean Caulfield (University of Alberta), and memories of a live dance performance by Emmanuelle Martin and Thom Gossage, choreographed by Isabelle Van Grimde.
Art meets ecology in an open-air setting
Set on the former site of a 19th-century village now reclaimed by nature, Malvina CPC offers an extraordinary canvas for environmental and artistic exploration. The landscape includes a heritage house, diverse biomes, and a deep connection to local history, making it an ideal site for eco-art and transdisciplinary collaboration.
A global team of artists and researchers
Essential Connections brings together artists from various cultural and disciplinary backgrounds, all engaged with ecological art, body consciousness, and environmental justice. They collaborate with scientists, Indigenous knowledge holders, and researchers in art history, public health, and ecology, creating a dynamic exchange between knowledge systems.
Themes explored in the exhibition include:
– Human, plant, and animal interdependence
– Biodiversity and shared environments
– Health and ecology
– Climate change and global mobility
– The shifting perception of the body in times of environmental urgency
Rather than striving for permanence, these artworks are meant to coexist with the natural elements, evolving over time and dissolving boundaries between land art, science, and contemporary creation.
A living laboratory of creation and dialogue
Audiences are invited to experience the artworks as they evolve throughout the summer months. Through cultural mediation activities, guided tours, and on-site artist encounters, visitors become part of the creative process — witnessing how art, science, and territory come together in response to today’s ecological challenges.
🗓️ Accessible every summer
🎟️ Free admission – Outdoor access during programming weekends
📍 Location: Malvina CPC – 309 chemin de Malvina, Saint-Malo, Quebec
2h15 from Montreal, 1h from Sherbrooke, Quebec