The exhibition “Prophétisse”, presented at the Galerie de l’UQAM until April 4th, offers a glimpse into the intersection of documentary, urban legend, and contemporary art. Created by artist Océane Buxton, the installation combines photographs, videos, and found objects to bring to light a little-known local history.
At the heart of the journey stands the enigmatic figure of Modeste Niquette, a marginal personality from Thetford Mines, in the Chaudière-Appalaches region. Ms. Niquette claimed to have frequent encounters with extraterrestrial forces, photographed these experiences, distributed her pictures throughout the city, and made prophecies that sparked curiosity and skepticism. She then suddenly disappeared without much media attention. However, a mystery lingers regarding the existence of Ms. Niquette, especially since Océane Buxton does not wish to disclose exactly when she would have lived.
“My friend introduced me to the story of Modeste Niquette, and I saw its potential. In celebrity culture, there are some people who seem larger than life, but there is a certain accessibility. I find it interesting how these individuals build folklore around themselves,” explains Océane Buxton, the artist behind the exhibition. A graduate student in Visual Arts and Media Arts at UQAM, Océane Buxton conducted research on celebrity culture during the writing of her thesis. She mentions, “Celebrity culture inspired me a lot because it shows how certain figures become larger than life through the stories we tell about them.”
The artist revisits this episode to examine the mechanisms by which individuals stage themselves in public and contribute to the creation of collective narratives, whether they involve myths, sensationalism, or mere gossip.
The exhibition reveals a variety of mediums. Objects scattered throughout the space, sometimes presented as commemorative altars, create a suspenseful atmosphere and suggest that the story remains unfinished.
Mixing personal investigation with real or reconstructed archives, the installation invites the audience to reflect on the power of storytelling in constructing public figures. Exhibition curator Louise Déry highlights that it is a project “where one feels the deepening of its subject and the mechanisms of sensationalism and fictional documentary.”
Through this exploration, the artist sheds light on the close ties between celebrity culture and urban legends. In other words, she explores how certain figures, despite the lack of institutional or media recognition, ascend to an almost mythical status within their community.
“A friend told me that when she saw the exhibition, she didn’t know how to feel,” shares Océane, when asked about the reactions sparked by the exhibition.
