Exhibition: April 24 – May 10 (From Tuesday to Saturday, 10-5)
Location: Artengine, Arts Court (2 Daly Ave, Ottawa)
This project draws inspiration from research conducted by Dr. Heather Kharouba’s lab, which studies the impact of warming on flowers essential to monarch survival. My works feature UV-printed plant resin, thermochromic pigments, and solar-powered blooms — each material carefully chosen to evoke the effects of warming on ecosystems. The thermochromic pigments fade with heat, symbolizing the impact of rising temperatures, while the solar-powered flowers serve as a reminder of nature’s reliance on the sun and the delicate balance disrupted by climate change.
Flutterings is also a memorial for butterfly specimens that have lost their lives to research, honouring their contribution to the survival of future generations.
I’d like to thank the Department of Biology and Faculty of Science from the University of Ottawa for its support in fostering this collaboration between art and science, as well as Artengine for providing space and support that helped bring this project to completion.
This project was made possible through the generous support of the City of Ottawa Creation and Production Fund.
This page will be updated with more images once the exhibition is installed.
A special thank you to Dr. Heather Kharouba and the students of the Kharouba Lab, whose work on monarchs and climate change provided the scientific foundation for this exhibition. With gratitude to Katherine Peele, Jenna Boomhower, Matthew Osborne, and Anna Sierra Heffernan-Wilker.
Thank you also to Lydie Rousseau for her support throughout the creation phase and for co-raising butterflies.