Informed by his upbringing in Haiti following the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship and his subsequent emigration to Canada at the age of 19, Manuel Mathieu’s art delves into the shared struggles and connections that unite us across national borders. In an age overwhelmed by information, where images and data proliferate faster than comprehension, his work insists on slowness and distance. It asks the viewer to step back, to recognize patterns across time, and to confront the ways history repeats itself under different names.

Marking a major milestone in his career, he will make his debut at the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, with new and existing works. Invited by Koyo Kouoh, Manuel Mathieu’s work engages with historical violence, erasure, and cultural approaches to physicality, nature, and spiritual heritage, strongly resonating with the In Minor Key curatorial theme. 

His recent projects reflect an expansion toward large-scale, multisensory installations that blur the boundaries between visual, spatial, and sensory experience. These include Le Mont habité (2025), a permanent public commission of five monumental mosaics for Montréal’s Réseau express métropolitain (REM), a multidisciplinary and multisensory solo exhibition spanning all four floors of PHI (2025); and an immersive installation version of Pendulum presented at the Toronto Biennial of Art in 2024.

Looking ahead, 2026 will be a significant year for the artist. Alongside the 61st International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, Mathieu will participate in international group and solo exhibitions in New York, Paris, and Montréal, affirming his presence on the global contemporary art scene.