Film soup demonstration and workshop presented at Vrille Art Actuel, August 2026.

Atelier de création participatif faisant appel aux matières organiques à L’Agora Premier Tech du Jardin floral de La Pocatière

Documentation by: Audrey Mainguy artiste photographe

Suelo Fertil / Sol Fertile / Fertile Soil is a research-creation project rooted in the agricultural landscape of La Pocatière and the communities that cultivate it. The work takes its inspiration from a single image: a portrait of my maternal grandmother, standing in her garden, where she planted coffee, berries, and roses in memory of her birthplace. This photograph serves as both the anchor and the starting point for an exploration of the land, memory, and heritage. Using the experimental technique of film souping, the idea was to alter analog film by immersing it in organic solutions. These solutions are composed of water collected from local rivers and coastal areas, mixed with vegetables, fruits, lichens and flowers grown in the region.

Through this method, the project weaves a dialogue between bodies of water, cultivated lands, and family histories. It reflects on the territories inhabited and traversed by my family and myself across generations. The resulting images feature distortions, stains, and transformations that echo the dynamics of migration and memory.