Night falls and the peaceful, welcoming garden turns into a mysterious place. What do the flowers and the little creatures do during the night? Strange sounds can be heard… Is it a deer, a spirit, or… the neighbour’s cat?
Created by photographer Caroline Hayeur and interdisciplinary artist D. Kimm, Un Jardin la nuit is an infrared video installation in a 17-minute-20-second loop, carried by the oneiric music of Guido Del Fabbro.
Black-and-white visual poem, Un Jardin la nuit is a work of strange beauty that offers privileged access to a secret world. Deer, raccoons, cats, a fox, and a rabbit appear in their natural intimacy while the vegetation continues its life cycle. Other scenes feature various surreal objects and ghostly characters. Not to mention an animated firefly (created by Claude Cloutier) and a few mischievous spirits.
Caroline Hayeur and D. Kimm
Close collaborators for more than 15 years, the two artists began their partnership in 2014 during a CALQ residency in Buenos Aires. This resulted in the exhibition Abrazo, focusing on the tango community between Buenos Aires and Montreal, presented in various artist-run centres in Quebec and Maisons de la culture in Montreal.
Combining artistic practice and cultural mediation, hey created four exhibitions featuring women in situations of vulnerability (deaf, immigrant, or facing mental health challenges). Designed in close collaboration with the participants, these photo xhibitions bring together the communities involved.
With Un Jardin la nuitthey blend their practices and aesthetics, questioning mediums and disciplines in order to develop an immersive video project.
Caroline Hayeur is the 2025 recipient of the Montréal Insectarium artist residency, which completes the “infrared trilogy.” She teaches photojournalism at the School of Media in the Faculty of Communication at the Université du Québec à Montréal.
In 2025, D. Kimm is a recipient of the Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec and receives the National Assembly of Quebec Deputy’s Medal. The Phénomena Festival, which she founded in 2010, is the winner of the 39th Grand Prix of the Conseil des arts de Montréal.
