Camille Henrot, an artist known for blending formalist influences with everyday themes, recently discussed her evolving body of work during a meeting at her spacious studio in Chelsea. Henrot, recognizable by her all-black attire and distinctive baby-blue sneakers, highlighted her enduring interest in dogs as a subject, which she sees as a way to explore care outside traditional patriarchal narratives. She previously exhibited a series of small dog sculptures made from materials such as steel wool, wax, and acrylic resin, which critics praised for merging modernist aesthetics with the messier realities of daily life.
Henrot’s multidisciplinary practice spans film, sculpture, and installation. After graduating from the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs, she began her career in advertising and directing music videos for French artists like Joakim Bouaziz. Her early films employed collage techniques, notably “Deep Inside” (2005), which layered animated imagery over 1970s hardcore pornography, and “King Kong Addition” (2007), a side-by-side overlay of the original 1933 “King Kong” and its later remakes.
In 2017, Henrot’s work gained wider recognition through exhibitions at Palais de Tokyo in Paris, where she integrated personal archives with elaborate taxonomies and installations reflecting on data and systems—a theme linked to her family background. Henrot’s grandmother was a librarian, her mother a taxidermist and engraver, and her father an early internet engineer. These influences continue to shape her artistic inquiries.
Henrot frequently collaborates with co-writers, including Charline von Heyl ("Hoy") and Massimiliano Gelfman. Her recent projects such as "Jus d’Orange" (2023) and "Commedia dell’arte" focus on social themes like class and the precariousness faced by gig workers and artists. Gelfman was unable to attend the debut of "Commedia" in Aspen due to her day job, underscoring Henrot’s point that “artists’ social precariousness is a little bit of a taboo topic.”
Her interdisciplinary approach also involves working closely with collaborators across media. For example, her husband, Swiss composer Mauro Hertrig, composed scores for “Commedia,” mixing synths, piano, and a trio accompaniment in a style blending sitcom and more somber, dark-Romantic elements.
Massimiliano Gioni, director of the New Museum, played a key role in Henrot’s rise when he presented her at the 2013 Venice Biennale. He recalled Henrot’s challenging but dedicated adaptation to sudden recognition. Gioni initially commissioned “In the Veins” expecting a continuation of the abundant natural imagery found in “Grosse Fatigue.” Instead, Henrot delivered a more sobering work featuring cryogenics labs, ecological crises, and intimate motherhood scenes. While Gioni expressed concern over the darker tone, Henrot emphasized hope and tenderness, stating, “If we have to go through tenderness and silly stickers and associating animals with babies in order to protect them, why not?”
Henrot’s working process is rigorous. During rehearsals for “Commedia dell’arte,” she was candid about her vision, challenging lighting cues to ensure the desired atmosphere. Her interaction with lighting designer Dan Stearns reflected a balance of humor and authority, encapsulating the disciplined yet collaborative nature of her creative environment.
Henrot continues to navigate the intersections of formalism, social commentary, and personal narrative, producing work that invites empathy and reflection on contemporary life.