Artist Camille Henrot: “I did everything I could not to become an artist” | Louisiana Channel

Camille Henrot didn’t plan to be an artist. She began her career in advertising but quickly realized it was too rigid, lacking space for nuance and ambivalence. So she started making her own experimental films on the kitchen table, drawing on old 35mm film. "I think ultimately I wanted to become a film director, but the classic narrative, theater-inspired model of cinema wasn't very interesting for me," Camille Henrot reflects.
This search for nuance and duality is central to Camille Henrot's artistic philosophy. In her works, she deliberately disrupts rigid systems of knowledge and control in order to leave space for interpretation and alternative meanings.
“I try to protect, very ferociously, the space for interpretation,” she explains, emphasizing her desire to challenge viewers to engage with her work beyond surface-level understanding.
A recurring theme in Henrot’s work is the intersection between private and public spheres and how our personal problems are increasingly intertwined with technology. Thus, in works like “System of Attachment” and "Wet Job," Camille Henrot explores institutional structures and societal expectations of motherhood and caregiving roles.
“I think there's something with the hyper-personal; the things that seem the most personal, the most subjective, and the most anecdotal resonate globally. Because in the end, the depths of our inner lives are also what connects us to other people. Yet the things that mostly appear as commonalities are also the most divisive and complex because the things we all share are also the things we all have an opinion on. And so there are interesting areas of investigation for me because they are constantly unresolved. They are topics that leave an open space for interpretation and opinions, which is something I'm always interested in.”
Camille Henrot (b. 1978, France) lives and works in New York City. Her practice spans drawing, painting, sculpture, installation, and film, with her works exploring themes from literature and psychoanalysis to digital culture. In 2013, as a fellow at the Smithsonian Institute, she created her critically acclaimed film Grosse Fatigue, for which she was awarded the Silver Lion at the 55th Venice Biennale. The following year, she received the Nam June Paik Award, and in 2015, she was given the Edvard Munch Award. Henrot has had numerous solo exhibitions worldwide, including at the Middelheim Museum in Belgium; National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne; New Museum in New York; Schinkel Pavilion in Berlin; New Orleans Museum of Art; Fondazione Memmo in Rome; and Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery in Japan, among others.
Camille Henrot was interviewed by Nanna Rebekka in her studio in Manhattan in May 2023.
Editor and producer: Nanna Rebekka
Camera: Sean Hanley
Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2023.
Louisiana Channel is supported by Den A.P. Møllerske Støttefond, Ny Carlsbergfondet, C.L. Davids Fond og Samling and Fritz Hansen
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[@khathazthropy]

“I did everything I could not to become an artist” is the most relatable quote I heard from another artist. it's so comforting

[@maciejdoczyk8196]

It was a feast for my soul, which I needed badly today. Thank you Camille, and thank you guys for sharing all these inspirational people's ideas on your channel.

[@juliafreiseisen3214]

Wow her attitude, dedication to her practice is so inspiring. She really transforms objects and ideas of this world and recreates them through her lense. Which then, we can interpret in our own language. She’s a great artist!

[@lwazihlophe8955]

I am intrigued more that I understand amd thats how I like my art to be. I appreciate her work.

[@flyvenus]

kudos to the video editor, this is edited insanely well. sometimes I forgot to listen bc I was so immersed in the visuals.

[@charlottepenfold7366]

Who edited this?

[@flyvenus]

@ i wish i knew

[@charlottepenfold7366]

@@flyvenusNanna Rebekka! Found it in the description:)

[@Artwitchmama]

I appreciate this artist’s work and her perspective on humour in particular ❤

[@kpace9549]

Articulate, generous and such a wonderful artist. Bravo!

[@lisengel2498]

Lovely video and Camille Henrot is a wonderfull artist. I adore the continuous playfulness both of experience and expressions of movement, gesture and space as open expressions of feelings and emotions of various kinds - I like her reflections on Art and agree with her open attitude of #almost onchalence #nointention - very experimenting and interesting Art indeed 🎶🖤🎵

[@jasmine-ws8xn]

all of these comments.. so negative. so deeply saddening to see the utter lack of support for contemporary artists working outside of the bounds of what society perceives an „Artist“ should be.

[@13hehe]

Huh? She is working within the elitist institution in place, playing by all the rules, getting in all the blue chip galleries. She is doing fine. 90% of the artists with more talent and doing harder things, are not.

[@mariannemcginnis7274]

@@jasmine-ws8xn she’s not outside of anything. She’s at the tippy top- the cream of the crop. I every painter, artist, had financial support,rent and bills taken care of, not worried how she will care for herself, or when she will be able to stop working at the grocery store, we would all be dressed like she is and Al we would all be in beautiful French homes. She’s very chic. She’s refined. She has beautiful taste. She’s connected to upper social classes- it seems- in ways I can only dream of.

[@13hehe]

@@mariannemcginnis7274 She went to the top Parisian art school with admission rate of 3%. She is the definition of French culture elite. It's very much a club that either opens its doors, or does not. The number of talented French or France-residing artists are numerous. She is blessed with her good fortune.

[@alexstrasser1]

​@@13hehe Your comment sounds full of envy. Are you a woke? 🤣🤣🤣

[@aranzazucampinperez1743]

😊😊

[@robertwebber8672]

Loved this vid, her art and indeed her. Vital for the world that such artists thrive to inspire us

[@jm8meditate274]

What an insightful woman.

[@Samantha1970]

Beautiful and Powerful work 👏🏻

[@gmw26]

Loved this interview and all of the art - found it very inspiring, thank you.

[@mamumonkan]

watching artists talk makes me more tolerant

[@armandogavilan1815]

watching crap art turns me into a intolerant bigot

[@mariannemcginnis7274]

@@armandogavilan1815or an insufferable one.

[@maxd3991]

impressive! beautiful paintings

[@lisengel2498]

“There is nothing more beautifull than randomness” #beautifull #randomness #thespontaneous #thetechnical 🙃🙂🌸💗

[@thePlum]

Cinema is a sense of total art

[@gerritk91]

amazing format, thanks for this

[@user-xg1ho8ui7o]

:: What a wonderful interview and so unexpectedly open! May I ask for the name of the piece of music used at approximate time-mark 9:17 ⇾ ?

[@rachelemoretto9907]

I’m also interested in the music that’s used in the interview!

[@kristianmollermunar]

awesome ❤

[@ahnaf_ameer_ashraf]

Good ❤

[@chestercopperpot8912]

Really cool stuff.

[@mariannemcginnis7274]

As a 60 yo artist who can barely support myself- it’s a shame but my most urgent question is ok great cool yes but how does she support herself? How does she pay for a giant nyc studio in a cool old building? How does she afford to pay for bronze casting which is super expensive even for something 5” high! I wish that it was a requirement of these art videos that they be a little more transparent with that aspect f an artists life. Why is it such a mystery when it is such a complete frustration and in many instances determines whether they will be able of living life like an artist? I work at a $$ job and also paint on apparel etc for boutiques to sell and then I might have one day a week to do my own work. One day a week doesn’t work. Artists need to be submerged in their practice. Inuit

[@kjerstik3211]

I also wish we could have a full breakdown of their finances. Unfortunately, based on what I have found out about many “successful artists” they start out with a lot of financial privilege that allows them to really have time to develop their work. Best of luck to you.

[@ashakora]

I’m not an expert on this at all and I understand your frustration, but maybe you can try looking some videos up here on KZbin, I’m sure there are artists who break down their income

[@TADWAJ92]

Grant acquisition. I hear you though.

[@13hehe]

She went to a top arts school in Paris, the elite of the elite, where admission rate is like, 5%. So that is a head-start because that gives you access to a certain social class and society that you otherwise wouldn't be allowed in. But she was most likely accepted or born into this high social milieu to begin with. French society is deeply class-based.

[@unsixdeuxtrois8448]

I'm french so when I typed her name on google I found her French wikipedia article, she is the daughter of an investment banker at Rotschild. This is not written on her English article. So I think that it helped her a lot. Not to throw shades at her work tho

[@oli7457]

Orange. Generally love the editing, but the digital depth-of-field for the main headshot/interview was distracting - or it just looks funky on my phone! Always good to see a multimedia artist not pigeonholed into one thing. Agreed w comments re: the clear access to capital here that’s probably coming from more than just grants. People usually can’t just like, dabble in bronze for funsies.

[@godzuks]

this is a level of art I cannot relate too..hey but thats just me i am no artist..

[@StephenHeigh]

I too did not plan to be an artist. I did not even like the word artist and sought out any area of art that was more craftsman like a carpenter as I was developing from a very young age. Almost like a builder and I spent most of my career as a commercial graphic designer/illustrator for many top companies in which for over thirty years had success in that realm, but something was always tugging at me, and I would create fine art and enter it into regional and national juried art shows throughout my life with often winning awards from gallery owners and art professor jurors. It was kind of a dual identity. I wanted to know if I held up to the exalted fine art world. I had a feeling that fine artists did not like me and that I was labeled this commercial artist swooping in on their territory and that I did not belong in that world of fine art. I don't know why I felt that way, but I always had difficulty with artists talking in high terminology about their work thinking that was just bullshit and they were covering up something with fancy talk. It's not rocket science. I struggled with that because my world of art was creating solutions and answers to problems in design and what was most effective from me a creative person. I had always been deadline driven and that holds true today as a painter. I try not to over think things and when I'm working it's often spontaneous and unknown as to what will happen. I'm also a workhorse and very productive and so my background helps. It has taken me years to say I'm an artist. I don't know if that's for someone else to say about one's work. I have kind of done a lot of this and that and believe I have found my purpose as a painter. I'm not one for gallery exhibitions and social circles. I'm not into that and just want to paint and things have worked out that I'm behind the scenes working away and have art dealers handling my work. There is a part of me that would like to see a body of work I have done exhibited only for the idea of seeing how the work interacts with other works in that setting. The installation art idea. I paint and the work goes out the door within days. I don't live with it and keep looking at it. I'm sometimes surprised when I see my work pop up in an interiors magazine in someone's home and relive the painting. It's an interesting feeling. I'm happy people like what I do and want to live with it.

[@bettinarossi7908]

It is truly remarkable,how some people ..want to share with the world ,how rude,inconsiderate and mean they are,by their consciousless comments. Everyone has feelings. Try and learn how to express your opinion without being cruel and ignorant.

[@djalals.moharrer5510]

The most truthful expressions or comments are cruel and bitter! This lady mentioned that she sees some kind of humor in violence! Don’t judge other people because you can’t know or feel them properly abroad! My tip to you free of charge of course!😂

[@jamieluce5808]

I believe the French culture is fairly strict for children. Lots of rules everyone tries to follow. I’m grateful I was allowed freedom to roam and loiter in U.S.

[@jamieluce5808]

The images should speak for themselves. This is a modern twist. We expect artists to EXPLAIN their work with esoteric narrative. Show me that art!!

[@taavah]

No, you must be able to speak about your art

[@Angelinainblue22]

Hi, i love you

[@Art_Travel_and_Hobbys]

Tried so hard not to be an artist but became an artist anyway... 🤔😒

[@abeyfanay.wajir.county]

Abn

[@CristianaSilva-gm1bs]

youtube should filter some comments

[@skwirl828]

Art has fallen. Dimented, distorted, ugly, nasty. Nothing redeeming or transcendent here.

[@hilohahoma4107]

Huh ?

[@dodie23]

Dogs see through their nose.

[@MH-su1wj]

Well, you didn’t try hard enough.

[@AlexaOleksa]

Gosh, it must be so suffocating inside your head

[@MH-su1wj]

Not really, no.

[@MH-su1wj]

It’s a joke on the title of the video. You come across privileged. Lots of people would bend an arm and a leg to be an artist. The title is a mockery of your own privileges. Of, which you cannot even see.

[@13hehe]

Mediocrity, Parisian elite privilege.

[@dalanium98]

try harder

[@armandogavilan1815]

Got GOOD news for you, you never became an artist, rest calm about that.

[@taavah]

Are you getting paid for insufferable and self-aggrandzing critique? Because she's clearly getting paid for art.

[@armandogavilan1815]

@@taavah yes, we got the wrong people in arts, in politics, in charge of a lot of important thing son this planet. The work is beyond mediocre and nothing is going to change that sorry :)