Riopelle or the Nature of Space and Time is an experimental cinematic work inspired by the world and artistic practice of painter Jean Paul Riopelle. The film offers a contemplative immersion in which Québec’s landscapes, seen from above, resonate with the artist’s thought and work.
Echoing L’Hommage à Rosa Luxemburg, Riopelle’s monumental painting spanning thirty panels, the film brings together some thirty aerial shots of Québec landscapes. The painter’s voice, drawn from archival recordings, accompanies the images in fragments, evoking his relationship with creation and the artistic gesture.
This new documentary work by filmmakers Olivier Higgins and Mélanie Carrier is on view starting in October 2026 at the brand-new Espace Riopelle at the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, as part of the permanent exhibition dedicated to the artist. The film thus occupies a special place alongside L’Hommage à Rosa Luxemburg, one of the painter’s landmark works.
Directed by: Olivier Higgins & Mélanie Carrier
Voice: Jean Paul Riopelle
Audio archives: Radio-Canada, INA
Cinematography: Olivier Higgins, Marcelo Riveros, Colin Surprenant
Color grading: Éric Denis
Image post-production: Studio Élément
Sound mixing: Pierre-Jules Audet, Maxime Vermette
Music: Tabula Rasa, composed by Arvo Pärt, performed by Angèle Dubeau & La Pietà
L’Esprit d’escalier, composed and performed by Pierre-Yves Martel
Production: MÖ FILMS
With Riopelle or the Nature of Space and Time, we continue our exploration at the intersection of cinema, visual art and the essay form. Here, the landscape becomes artistic material: its shapes, textures and movements echo Jean Paul Riopelle’s deep connection with nature and the land.
It is an immense honour for us to see this film take its place in the permanent exhibition dedicated to Riopelle, alongside his monumental painting, L’Hommage à Rosa Luxemburg. We humbly hope that it will offer visitors to the Espace Riopelle an added dimension of reflection and emotion.
This project is made possible through the financial support of the Government of Québec and the City of Québec under the Cultural Development Agreement, as well as the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.
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