Camille Henrot, born in Paris in 1978, has established herself as one of the most captivating contemporary artists of our time. With a diverse background that includes studying film animation at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs and working in fields ranging from assisting mixed-media artist Pierre Huyghe to creating music videos, her journey has been marked by an exploration of various mediums and a relentless pursuit of creative expression.
Now based in New York, Henrot's artistic prowess extends across film, sculpture, installation, and painting. Her work delves into a wide array of subjects, drawing inspiration from ethnographic film, the zoetrope, telephone hotlines, and ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging. Her interdisciplinary approach reflects her deep interest in philosophy, literature, and anthropology, guiding a creative process rooted in exhaustive research.
One of Henrot's seminal works is the 2013 video titled “Grosse Fatigue,” created as part of the Smithsonian Artists Research Fellowship Program in Washington, DC. This 13-minute masterpiece unfolds on a computer desktop, presenting a visual cacophony of windows containing images, data, web pages, and videos. Accompanied by a rhythmic soundtrack and a spoken word narration weaving through creation myths, the video is a poetic exploration of information overload in the digital age.
Henrot's artistic brilliance was duly recognized as “Grosse Fatigue” earned her the Silver Lion at the 55th Venice Biennale. Building on the ideas explored in this film, she conceived the acclaimed 2014 installation “The Pale Fox” at Chisenhale Gallery in London, showcasing the breadth of her diverse output. This exhibition traveled to prestigious institutions worldwide, including Kunsthal Charlottenburg in Copenhagen, Bétonsalon in Paris, Westfälischer Kunstverein in Münster, Germany, and Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery in Japan.
Over the years, Henrot has garnered significant recognition for her contributions to the art world. In 2017, she was given carte blanche at Palais de Tokyo in Paris, presenting the major exhibition “Days Are Dogs.” Her accolades include the 2014 Nam June Paik Award, the 2015 Edvard Munch Award, and a promotion to the rank of Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres on March 23, 2017.
Henrot's global impact is evident through numerous solo exhibitions, including those at the New Museum in New York, Schinkel Pavilion in Berlin, New Orleans Museum of Art, Fondazione Memmo in Rome, and Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery in Japan. As a finalist for prestigious awards like the Hugo Boss Prize and the Absolut Art Award, her influence continues to shape the contemporary art landscape.
Henrot stands as a visionary force, seamlessly blending diverse influences and mediums to create thought-provoking and visually stunning works that resonate on a global scale.