Valérie’s project aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration between conservation biology and the arts, raising awareness about the pressing need to protect biodiversity in an era of change. Through a residency with Artengine, and in collaboration with Dr. Heather Kharouba, Valérie has created an experience that fuses art and technology. This collaboration presents an exciting opportunity to amplify the important role that art can play in raising awareness about biodiversity conservation, while engaging audiences in technological innovations fostered by Artengine.
Visual artist, Valérie Chartrand worked with a research project conducted by students in Kharouba’s lab to create work that depicts the effects of global change on species distributions, phenology, and interactions. Valérie’s work explores the direct and indirect effects of global change on the interconnectedness of species in the web of life. The artwork includes elements and symbols that represent the sensitivity of species to global change, such as temperature, habitat loss, and pollution. The artwork highlights the importance of balance in the ecosystem by portraying the detrimental effects of disrupting the connection between species. Using data pulled directly from the lab’s research and incorporating elements of augmented reality, the work highlights the interconnections of life and demonstrates the impact of global change.
Valérie Chartrand’s practice focuses on the loss of biodiversity and reduction in insect populations due to climate change and human interference in insect life cycles. Using imprint techniques, found insects and non-toxic materials, she is interested in what insects can tell us about the world, both from a scientific and a metaphorical perspective. She holds an MFA from Emily Carr University and she lives and works Ottawa.
