Vidéographe is proud to announce the 2024 winner of the Robert Forget Award: Nelson Henricks!

After careful evaluation, the jury, composed of Kimura Byol, France Choinière, and Christine Ross, selected Nelson Henricks from a wide range of candidates, all of whom were outstanding for their contributions to the discipline of video and the community.

A versatile artist, Nelson Henricks has left an indelible mark in the fields of video, visual arts, writing, and curating. 

His video practice is distinguished by its notable use of self-portraiture, evident from early works to recent installations, blending dry humor with abstraction and a pop aesthetic. Combining in his images aesthetic, ethical, and political perspectives, the artist’s unique approach demonstrates an undeniable sense of rhythm and composition. A leading figure in Montreal’s visual and media arts community, he participates in curatorial projects, conferences, and community outreach programs, consolidating his position as a dynamic force in the cultural sphere, amplifying his impact and influence on the next generation of creators.

His multidisciplinary career, culminating in a Ph.D. from UQAM in 2016, is rooted in an academic background in visual arts and film. With over thirty solo exhibitions worldwide, including at prestigious institutions such as MoMA, he has also received distinctions including this year’s Prix Louis-Comtois. Finally, Henricks makes a significant contribution to the artistic landscape, inspiring emerging and established artists alike, both as an artist and as a professor of intermedia production at Concordia University.

Named in honor of the visionary who initiated Vidéographe, the Robert Forget Award is presented every two years to a Quebec artist, curator, or researcher who has made an outstanding contribution to the development of the moving image in Quebec.

The prize includes :

– A $5,000 grant

– A digital publication on the work and/or practice of the winner hosted on Vithèque

– The presentation of a retrospective of the artist’s work or a program developed by the curator-researcher