Catharine MacTavish's First Show in 23 Years Opens at Shmorévaz, Paris

Shmorévaz in Paris presents 'High-Speed Eternity', the first exhibition of Canadian artist Catharine MacTavish since 2003 and her first outside Canada. Spanning 1974–2026, the show features drawings, prints, videos, holograms, three-dimensional paintings, and dollhouses. Curated by Salomé Burstein and Felix Rapp, it runs until May 23, 2026. MacTavish's practice explores vision and self-dissolution, beginning with the series 'Self Centred' (1974-79) of graphite drawings and stone lithographs. After finding success in the 1970s-80s, she stopped showing due to personal and medical turmoil, economic challenges, and under-representation of women artists. She lived as a Buddhist nun for 15 years while working in early childhood education, but continued making art. The exhibition includes later works like the drawing 'Gray #5' (2007) and the video 'Heaven's Door' (2012), made after a cycling accident. MacTavish's myopia informs her fascination with miniatures; specially made for the show, the 'Trippy Trix Tryptic' (2026) dollhouses reference her encounter with holography in the 1970s. She shot her first hologram in 1973 at a University of Toronto Physics Lab, later collaborating with artist Al Razutis at his studio Visual Alchemy in Vancouver. Two holograms from 1974, 'Ashtray' and 'Ziggurat', are featured. Today, MacTavish is creating custom gold jewelry with designer Linda Penwarden for new holograms.