Ice Follies 2023

Isabelle Michaud, Albert, 2023

Presented by Near North Mobile Media Lab

In a thin ice pocket, that broke due to a warmer than usual day, lived a single bacterium named Albert. There was no reason for Albert to stay in this shattered ice pocket, and also, Albert didn’t know why he was there in the first place– It seemed like somehow, it was the wrong place to be. Albert began his voyage for a more comfortable place to live. On the way, he met strange forms that had two long appendages on the bottom and two shorter tendrils on the top with a smaller nodule at the very top. They towered over Albert and blocked the sunlight from him as they scrunched and thumped on the thin ice of the lake. They seemed menacing and somehow he felt like they didn’t like him. Albert had a strength within him though that could not be crushed. So, he wiggled and wiggled and shook and jumped and skipped until he finally moved further away from the crowd of giant blobs and found a quiet little snow mound to make his home. He built his home in his mind, imagined it, all cozy and quiet by the light of the moon and by the dried reeds on the shores. The wind blew at night, howling, but that didn’t scare Albert. His love for his home grew and grew such that he started to glow. This inner light grew out of adversity and for this, Albert was stronger than ever.

Dans une fine poche de glace, qui s’est brisée à cause d’une journée plus chaude que d’habitude, vivait une unique bactérie nommée Albert. Il n’y avait aucune raison pour qu’Albert reste dans cette poche de glace brisée, et aussi, Albert ne savait pas pourquoi il était là en premier lieu– Il semblait que d’une manière ou d’une autre, ce n’était pas le bon endroit où vivre. Albert a donc commencé son voyage pour un endroit plus confortable où vivre. En chemin, il a rencontré des formes étranges qui avaient deux longues branches en bas et deux tiges plus courtes en haut avec un nodule plus petit tout en haut. Ils dominaient Albert et lui bloquaient la lumière du soleil alors qu’ils marchaient fort et frappaient la glace du lac. Ils semblaient menaçants et d’une manière ou d’une autre, Albert avait l’impression que ces géantes formes ne l’aimaient pas. Albert avait en lui une force qui ne pouvait être écrasée. Alors, il se tortilla et se tortilla et secoua et sauta et sauta jusqu’à ce qu’il s’éloigne finalement de la foule des sombres géants et trouve un petit monticule de neige tranquille pour faire sa maison. Il a construit sa maison dans son esprit, l’a imaginée, toute douillette et tranquille à la lumière de la lune et par les roseaux séchés sur les rives. Le vent soufflait la nuit, hurlant, mais cela n’effrayait pas Albert. Son amour pour sa maison a grandi et grandi à tel point qu’il a commencé à briller. Cette lumière intérieure est née de l’adversité et pour cela, Albert était plus fort que jamais.

Artist Bio:

Isabelle Michaud is the Sault Ste. Marie Museum’s inaugural artist in residence! A Francophone artist with an interest in local French history and museum aesthetics, Michaud received her BFA from Algoma University. She has exhibited and curated across Ontario, with recent solo shows at Between Pheasants Contemporary and Blind River Timber Village Museum.  Isabelle has received several artist grants from the Ontario Arts Council for personal and collaborative projects.

Social Links:

Website: http://www.isamichaud.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaud.isabelle/