Ésery Mondésir se atis, vidéyas ak sineyas. Li fèt an Ayiti, li baze Towonto nan peyi Kanada. Li te pwofesè lekòl segondè epi òganizatè sendika nan peyi Etazini ak Kanada, anvan l te fini yon metriz nan pwodiksyon sinema nan Inivèsite York an 2017. Zèv li yo pran sous yo nan memwa pèsonel oswa kolektif, nan achiv ofisyèl ak achiv popilè, nan lavi toulèjou pou l ofri yon lekti ki soti nan maj sosyete nou yo.

Li reyalize dènye pwojè li yo, nan kolaborasyon avèk manm dyaspora ayisyen an nan vil La Havana, Kiba ak Tijuana, Meksik. Travay sa yo pase toupatou, tankou nan Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, Art Gallery of Ontario, George Eastman Museum (Rochester, NY), Norton Museum of Art (West Palm Beach), Third Horizon Film Festival (Miami) epi nan Open City Festival (Londres). An 2021, li vin pwofesè adjwen Fakilte Atizay nan inivèsite OCAD. Kounye a, li ap rapousib rechéch sou mannyè yo fè fim, sou imaj an mouvman, imaj yo fè alamen ak mouvman migrasyon nan yon kontèks postmigrasyon.

Ésery Mondésir is a Haitian-born video artist and filmmaker based in Toronto. Before earning his MFA in cinema production from York University in 2017, he worked as a high school teacher and labour organizer in the US and Canada. His work draws on personal and collective memory, official and vernacular archives, and the everyday to generate a reading of our societies from the margins.

His recent projects, in collaboration with members of the Haitian diaspora in Havana and Tijuana, have been exhibited worldwide, including at the Musée d’art contemporain de Montreal, the Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto), the George Eastman Museum (Rochester), the Norton Museum of Art (West Palm Beach), the Third Horizon Film Festival (Miami), as well as the Open City Festival (London). In 2021, he joined the art faculty at OCAD University as an Assistant Professor, where he continues to research process cinema, artisanal/handmade moving images, and migratory movements in a “postmigration” context.

Plants as Documents of Existence

Julia Eilers Smith

“Isn’t every image the product of a transfer, a migration?”
— Ésery Mondésir

“I’m on the side of the men and women who are not allowed to move.”
— Jean-Claude Charles

“Bay kou bliye, pote mak sonje (he who strikes the blow forgets, he who carries the scar remembers).”
— Haitian proverb

Ésery Mondésir first discovered the mimosa flower while visiting the San Donnino Church in Pisa, Italy. He was there to see the grave of Marie-Louise Christophe, Haiti’s only queen and widow of the self-proclaimed king, Henri Christophe. A commemorative plaque at the church states that she was the “queen consort of Haiti (1811-1820) and the first Afro-descendant female head of state on the American continent.” After her husband’s tragic death, Marie-Louise Christophe sought exile in Europe with her two daughters, Françoise- Améthyste and Anne-Athénaïre Christophe, and their maid, Sabine Zéphyrin. She first found refuge in London, then in Pisa, where she died in 1851. On the day of Mondésir’s visit to the chapel, a woman who was attending the service gave him a mimosa branch, explaining that the flower was a symbol for women. Mondésir then placed it next to the queen’s grave.

Growing up in Haiti, Mondésir has a personal relationship to plants. The flower garden of his childhood home always bloomed under his grandmother’s care. She grew plants and vegetables and concocted all sorts of infusions for healing a range of ailments. When Mondésir realized that plants could also be used to develop photographs and film, without chemicals, it opened up new avenues to creative experimentation with plants and images.

Mondésir’s exhibition at the Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery takes its title from choublak, or hibiscus in Haitian Creole. Thought to originate from Asia or Africa, this ornamental, edible, and medicinal plant is deeply rooted in contemporary Caribbean culture. It is Haiti’s national flower and considered a cultural symbol. For the Haitian-Canadian artist, choublak also embodies the fundamental subjects of his practice: in-betweenness, hybrid origins, uprooting, migratory paths, as well as Creoleness and diasporic communities.

Choublak presents Mondésir’s recent body of work, produced in collaboration with members of the Haitian diaspora in Montreal, Toronto, Tijuana, and Havana. A series of abstract portrait films and photographs captured via a pinhole camera while travelling through Chile and Trinidad and Tobago were developed with various image processing techniques, often incorporating plant residues. These interventions on the actual film reveal latent shapes and nascent stories buried deep within the materiality of the celluloid.

[…]

The complete essay can be viewed on the exhibition’s page and downloaded in the Texts and Documents section. A printed version is also available at the Gallery.

The Haitian Revolution, spanning from 1791 to 1804, stands as one of the most profound and transformative events in global recent history. Fueled by the aspirations for freedom and equality among the enslaved African population on the French colony of Saint-Domingue, the revolution culminated in the creation of Haiti, the first independent Black republic, and the only nation in history to be born out of a successful revolt by enslaved African people.

One of the most significant outcomes of the Haitian Revolution was the abolition of slavery in Haiti, which sent shockwaves across the world, challenging the very foundations of the global system of slavery at a time when the transatlantic trade of enslaved people was at its peak. Serving as a powerful symbol of resistance and hope for enslaved people everywhere, this momentous turn of events proved that freedom could be won through collective struggle and determination. The revolution inspired subsequent liberation movements across Latin America and the Caribbean and became a touchstone for abolitionists in Europe and the United States.

On a global scale, the Haitian Revolution dealt a significant blow to European colonial powers, particularly France. The loss of Saint-Domingue, once the wealthiest colony in the Americas, crippled the French economy and forced France to sell its North American territories to the U.S. Known as the Louisiana Purchase, it reshaped the geopolitical landscape of the Western Hemisphere. Haiti’s independence challenged deeply entrenched racial hierarchies, proving that formerly enslaved people were more than capable of self-governance and nation-building. It sent a clear message that the principles of liberty and equality were not limited by race or class, and it became a significant milestone in the global struggle for human rights and social justice.

Over the past century, Haitians have faced various forms of discrimination shaped by historical, social, and political factors. This injustice, which has manifested through racial prejudice, xenophobia, and systemic inequalities, reveals the complexity of Haitian experiences both within Haiti and in the diaspora. The aftermath of the Haitian Revolution set the stage for significant hostility and economic sanctions against Haiti by colonial powers and enslaving nations that viewed Haiti’s independence as a threat. The economic exploitation and political interference that Haiti faced during the U.S. occupation from 1915 to 1934 – a blatant disregard for Haitian sovereignty – meant that local needs were not met, and left a legacy of resentment and marginalization.

The mid-20th century continued to see racial and national prejudices against Haitians, particularly in neighbouring countries like the Dominican Republic and Cuba. Historical conflicts, racial differences and nationalism fueled anti-Haitian sentiment, resulting in discriminatory practices such as exclusion from citizenship and limited access to services. This period also witnessed harsh U.S. immigration policies, at a time when the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship in 1986 led to political instability and economic hardship, driving many to seek refuge abroad. Haitian migrants often faced significant injustices in their host countries, particularly Cuba, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, and the U.S.

The hostilities they faced over the last century reflect broader issues of racial, national, and economic prejudice. Still today, Haitian migrants, as well as those from other parts of the Global South, continue to be confronted by challenges that are exacerbated by changing immigration policies and political climates. Ongoing migration crises have affected migrant people worldwide, subjecting them to extreme injustices that hinder their ability to seek asylum and attain legal status. Systemic racism and social stigma persist, influencing social status, access to services, and treatment by hosting authorities.

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In Una Sola Sangre (which translates to “One Blood”), Ésery Mondésir uses the documentary genre to foreground the resilience and strength of Haitian diasporic community, as he delves into the complex relationship between Haitians and Cubans. By providing historical context for the tensions, the artist traces these issues back to colonialism, slavery, and the post-migration experience. As historical traumas continue to influence contemporary diasporic conditions, how does the artist tackle issues of division caused by race, nationality, and politics? Observe how the family still lives in the margins of Cuban society. How do they keep their inherited traditions alive?

Amidst the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, the U.S. imposed a ban on blood donations from Haitians, and many of those seeking asylum faced increased scrutiny and denial. Negative media portrayals linked Haitians with the HIV/AIDS crisis, thus contributing to widespread stigma. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shockingly classified Haitians as one of the four groups at higher risk for AIDS, alongside homosexual men, intravenous drug users, and hemophiliacs. This erroneous classification quickly became sensationalized by the media. Newspapers, magazines, and television reports often linked Haitians directly to the disease, fueling widespread fear and discrimination. This portrayal ignored the fact that there was no scientific evidence supporting the notion that Haitians, as a group, were more susceptible to HIV/AIDS. It also failed to consider the socio-economic factors influencing vulnerability to the disease.

The media’s representation of Haitians went beyond the issue of AIDS, amplifying broader racist and xenophobic attitudes, leading to increased social ostracism, difficulties in housing and employment, and even physical violence against Haitian individuals. The stigmatization also made it harder for Haitians to access healthcare and other services, further deepening their marginalization.

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Of What Death We Die serves as both an intimate portrait and a retrospective examination of the circumstances surrounding Mondésir’s father’s death in the 1980s. Consider the artist’s use of archives, both personal and public. How does he transform the archival material to center the personal discourse against the stigmatizing one? How does the artist tackle the blame of the global HIV epidemic that is directed at Haitians?

In response to the stigmatization and marginalization connected to HIV/AIDS misinformation, the Haitian community in the U.S. and around the world, supported by civil rights organizations, engaged in protests, legal actions, and public education campaigns to counteract misconceptions, and to highlight their contributions to society. Their efforts helped to shift public perception, and led to the reversal of some discriminatory policies, such as the FDA’s ban on Haitian blood donations.

Haitian identity is deeply connected to a history of resilience, migration and exile, which has created a complex and multifaceted sense of self for those living outside of their homeland. Haitians have been migrating from their homeland for over a century, across the globe, particularly to North America, Europe, and the Caribbean, driven by numerous factors including political instability, economic hardship, and natural disasters. Exile, both voluntary and forced, is a painful but necessary choice, driven by the need for safety, economic opportunity, or political freedom.

Shaped with a sense of loss caused by separation from the familiar landscapes, languages, and traditions that define life in the homeland, Haitian writers and poets have approached the diasporic experience of exile and migration with reflection, intertwining personal narratives with cultural and historical themes. Marked by a duality—an attachment to Haitian roots and the challenge of adapting to new environments, their works explore the struggles of displacement, the longing for a lost homeland, and the intricacies of identity in a foreign land. How can one be physically separated from home while culturally anchored in its landscapes, languages, and traditions? Many Haitian writers grapple with this question of identity, feeling caught between two worlds. Jean-Claude Charles’ concept of “enracinerrance” (from the French words “enraciner”, to root, and “errance”, roaming) encapsulates this duality, where individuals feel both rooted in their Haitian heritage and perpetually in motion due to their diasporic existence. This separation often leads to a longing for home, even as returning becomes increasingly difficult or impossible. The Haitian diaspora thus lives in a state of “not here nor there,” a condition of being simultaneously rooted in their culture and yet always on the move, both physically and metaphorically.

As the preservation of language, religion, and cultural practices became a necessity for maintaining a connection to Haiti while living in exile, a group of writers gathered in Montréal, to pursue the activities of Haiti Littéraire, a cultural circle created in Haiti and continued in Quebec, with most of its members moving here. At the poetry evenings they organized at Perchoir d’Haiti, in downtown Montreal, the theme of exile often intersected with political turmoil and social injustice in the homeland, and their writings reflected the broader struggles of the Haitian people, serving as a form of resistance against the forces that perpetuate their displacement. Despite the hardships associated with migration and exile, these meetings conveyed a strong undercurrent of hope, where writers emphasized the strength found in community, the ability to adapt, and the creativity that emerges from living between worlds, even in the face of tremendous adversity.

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The CIDIHCA in Montreal serves as a vital resource center, providing comprehensive documentation on Haiti, Caribbean diasporas, and Afro-Canadian communities. By meticulously researching and continuously updating its collections, CIDIHCA has established itself as an essential reference point, accessible to a broad audience for consultation and study. Explore the collection of books and archival materials provided in the gallery space. How does this endeavor participate in challenging misconceptions about the immigrant diasporas, and re-centering the experience of resilience of these communities? Do you know of other places that provide similar experiences in Montreal?

Ésery Mondésir’s work is defined by his deep engagement with his subjects and a commitment to social justice. His practice, while often personal and intimate, is rooted in docuessay filmmaking. Mondésir’s approach combines storytelling with a critical examination of reality, blending personal narratives with broader historical and social contexts. His nuanced and reflective style invites viewers to contemplate the intricate relationships between identity, memory, and social justice, offering a thoughtful and intimate perspective on the challenges faced by those navigating these issues.

These themes are explored in depth in Pariah, My Brother, I Follow You, Show Me the Route to the Springs as Mondésir follows a man and his father-in-law, both Haitian migrants, as they set up a temporary stall to sell second-hand running shoes at a market in Tijuana. Mondésir closely examines how the protagonists channel their experience of alienation, meticulously documenting every stage of this daily ritual which starts before dawn and is characterized by constant movement and change. Brief exchanges of dialogue offer glimpses into their migratory experiences and the discrimination they encountered during their journey.

In his anthotypes series, Mondésir takes images of cities and landscapes, captured with a pinhole camera while travelling through Santiago and Talca, in Chile, as well as to Belmont, in Trinidad and Tobago. He uses the anthotype, an alternative image-making technique that pushes the boundaries of traditional photography. Anthotype is an early photographic process that uses the natural pigments found in plants to create images, relying solely on natural materials and sunlight. The term “anthotype” comes from the Greek words “anthos,” meaning flower, and “typos,” meaning impression. A method that allows for a hands-on, tactile approach, it also fosters a deeper connection with the materiality of the image. To create an anthotype, an emulsion is made by extracting pigments from various plants, such as flowers, leaves, or fruits, and crushing or soaking them in a solvent like water or alcohol. This emulsion is then applied to a surface, usually paper or fabric, which serves as the photographic medium. Once the coated surface dries, it is placed in contact with a photographic negative and exposed to sunlight for an extended period, sometimes several days or even weeks. The areas of the surface that are exposed to the most sunlight will fade, while the covered areas retain the pigment, resulting in an image with varying shades of color.

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Observe the final images produced through the anthotype process that the artist chose to use. What do the delicate and subtle forms suggest?

Be mindful of the colors ranging from soft pastels to more vivid tones rendered depending on the plant material chosen by the artist. Since the process is entirely natural, the images are not permanent and can fade over time. In your opinion, what does the artist wish to imply? What does the ephemeral quality add to the concept of the work?

1. Choublak 1, 2024
Digital print from a phytogram created on 35mm film

Courtesy of the artist

2. The Mother was Feeding it Alright, 2019
Two-channel video, colour, sound, 2 min. 20 sec.

Courtesy of the artist

3. What Happens to a Dream Deferred, 2020
Single-channel video, HD video transferred to
16mm film and redigitized in 2K, colour, sound,
25 min. 2 sec.

Courtesy of the artist

4. Pariah, My Brother, I Follow You, Show Me the Route to the Springs, 2019
Single-channel video, colour, sound, 19 min. 50 sec.

Courtesy of the artist

5. Choublak 2, 2024
Digital print from a phytogram created on 35mm film

Courtesy of the artist

6. Archives from the Centre international de documentation et d’information
haïtienne, caribéenne et afro-canadienne;
video: Champ libre broadcast, Société Radio-Canada, May 26,
1965; accordion book: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

7. The Marks Remember, 2023
Single-channel video, sound, hand-processed and digitally coloured film, kozo paper, 5 min. 13 sec.

Courtesy of the artist

8. Nocturne, 2018
Single-channel video,
sound, hand-processed and digitally coloured film, kozo paper, 3 min. 17 sec.

Courtesy of the artist

9. Kale Kann Kale, 2023
Single-channel video, hand-processed and digitally coloured film, kozo paper, 1 min. 38 sec.

Courtesy of the artist

10. Katherine, 2020
Single-channel video, sound, hand-processed and digitally coloured film, kozo paper, 3 min. 11 sec.

Courtesy of the artist

11. Joséphine, 2023
Single-channel video, sound, hand-processed and digitally coloured film, kozo paper, 1 min. 53 sec.

Courtesy of the artist

12. Building Santiago, 2024
Talca, 2024
Street Santiago, 2024
Belmont, Trinidad 1, 2024
Belmont, Trinidad 2, 2024
Belmont, Trinidad 3, 2024
Belmont, Trinidad 4, 2024
Belmont, Trinidad 5, 2024
Belmont, Trinidad 6, 2024
Anthotypes on textile Courtesy of the artist

13. Of What Death We Die, 2022
Single-channel video, colour, sound, 9 min 36 sec.

Courtesy of the artist

14. Una Sola Sangre, 2018-2024
Two-channel video, colour, sound, 37 min. 42 sec.

Courtesy of the artist

15. Choublak 3, 2024
Digital print from a phytogram created on 35mm film

Courtesy of the artist

Every Monday, during the exhibition Choublak, the Gallery shares audio excerpts from texts by Haitian writers. The title Les lundis littéraires [Literary Mondays] pays homage to the poetry evenings held in the 1960s at the restaurant-bar Le Perchoir d’Haïti, in downtown Montreal, in which Anthony Phelps and members of the Haiti Littéraire movement participated.

Episode 1 – October 21, 2024
Reader: Anthony Phelps
Title: Mon pays que voici
Author: Anthony Phelps
Piano: Ernest Lamy

© Éditions Bruno Doucey, collection Sacoche, 2023

Episode 2 – October 28, 2024
Reader: Edmond Wilson
Title: Dialogue avec mon ombre
Author: Gérard Étienne

Baridon, S. F., & Philoctète, R. (1986). Poésie vivante d’Haïti. M. Nadeau.

Bernabé, J., Chamoiseau, P., & Confiant, R. (1993). Éloge de la créolité. Gallimard.

Blaetz, R. (2007). Women’s experimental cinema: Critical frameworks. Duke University Press.

Brakhage, S., & McPherson, B. R. (2001). Essential Brakhage: Selected writings on filmmaking. Documentext.

Brennan, M., Foighel Brutmann, S., Efrat, E., Wahdat, K., Askari, L., Litvintseva, S., Maamoun, M., Attlee, E., Brooks, N., & Arkomanis, E. (2020). Migrations in new cinema. Cours de poétique.

Charles, J.-C. (2001). L’enracinerrance. Boutures, Vol. 1.

Charles, J.-C. (2017). Le corps noir. Mémoire d’encrier.

Crosley, B. C. (2003). Davertige: Poète haïtien, poète universel. L’Harmattan.

Davertige. (2003). Anthologie secrète. Mémoire d’encrier.

Della Noce, E., & Murari, L. (2022). Expanded nature: Écologies du cinéma expérimental. Light Cone Editions.

Dominique, M. (1999). Esquisses critiques. Éditions Mémoire ; Éditions du CIDIHCA.

Fisher, J. (2006). Technologies of intuition. YYZ Books.

Fouchard, J. (1988). Les Marrons de la liberté. H. Deschamps.

Gonzalez, J. (2019). Maroon nation: A history of revolutionary Haiti. Yale University Press.

Gouraige, G., Laroche, M., Lubin, M., et al. (1987). Littérature et société en Haïti: Davertige, Philoctète, Phelps. CIDIHCA.

Hooks, B. (1989). Choosing the margin as – a space of radical openness. Framework: The Journal of Cinema and Media, 36, 15–23.

Hughes, L., & Hoffman, D. (2011). I wonder as I wander: An autobiographical journey. Books on Tape.

Hughes, L., & Mullen, E. J. (1977). Langston Hughes in the Hispanic world and Haiti. Archon Books.

Knowles, K., & Walley, J. (2024). The Palgrave handbook of experimental cinema. Palgrave Macmillan.

Philoctète, R. (1969). Ces Îles qui marchent. Éditions Fardin.

Philoctète, R. (1970). Margha. Kraus.

Phelps, A. (1968). Mon pays que voici: Suivi de: Les Dits du Fou-aux-Cailloux. P.J. Oswald.

Schneemann, C., & Stiles, K. (2010). Correspondence course: An epistolary history of Carolee Schneemann and her circle. Duke University Press.

Shah, S. (2021). The next great migration: The beauty and terror of life on the move. Bloomsbury Publishing.

Toussaint Louverture, & Nesbitt, N. (2019). The Haitian revolution. Verso.

Trouillot, M.-R., & Carby, H. V. (2015). Silencing the past: Power and the production of history. Beacon Press.