Camille Henrot, a French interdisciplinary artist known for her versatility across mediums, continues to expand her artistic presence in New York with a trio of recent projects showcasing her broad creative range. Henrot, who has a background in film animation, first gained significant recognition with her 2013 video work “Grosse Fatigue,” a 13-minute exploration of the Earth’s creation and the influence of internet culture, which remains influential in contemporary video art circles.

This spring, the New Museum in New York reopened with a group exhibition that included Henrot’s latest film, “In the Veins,” a 30-minute reflection on themes of motherhood and human existence. This work adds to her evolving portfolio that encompasses assemblage, installation, sonic sculpture, digital collage, painting, drawing, text, fresco, floral design, cast bronze, and large-scale trompe-l’oeil sculpture.

Currently, Henrot has installed a public art piece in Central Park through the Public Art Fund—a year-long exhibition featuring twelve bronze, concrete, and cut stone sculptures of dogs in playful poses. This installation marks Henrot’s first major public presentation in the city.

Further expanding her artistic scope, Henrot is premiering her first play, “Commedia dell’arte,” at the Florence Gould Theater in Midtown Manhattan, presented by the Performa Biennial festival and L’Alliance New York. The play, which debuted in July at the Aspen Art Museum and will run for four days in New York, is a slapstick comedy inspired by the Italian Renaissance theatrical tradition of the same name. It features stock characters such as Pulcinella, Pierrot, and others, reimagined in a modern setting centered on a New York apartment building where tenants revolt against an exploitative landlord.

During rehearsals, Henrot was noted for her meticulous direction, balancing the physicality and humor inherent in the show’s exaggerated costumes and props. She described the play as a “cartoon made flesh” and cited the 1988 film “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” as a key influence, emphasizing the blend of silliness and layered narrative.

Co-written with Australian essayist Estelle Hoy and American playwright Justine Gelfman, “Commedia dell’arte” plays with themes of innocence and city life through the Pierrot figure, portrayed by Samori Etienne as a naive delivery man whose fresh perspective helps unravel the story’s conflicts. Henrot connects personally to Pierrot, noting that the character’s sense of discovery mirrors her own artistic approach.

RoseLee Goldberg, founder of Performa and an advocate for interdisciplinary performance, praised Henrot’s playful and multifaceted work, explaining that the festival invited her participation in 2023. The Aspen Art Museum joined as a co-commissioner as the production grew in scale.

Since winning the Silver Lion award for emerging artists at the 2013 Venice Biennale, Henrot has steadily pursued an expansive artistic practice marked by restlessness and an eagerness to engage with diverse forms—attributes that have become hallmarks of her career as she moves into its mature phase.