INTERLUDE BY ROSE KATEMBO
TRANSLATING THE SENSE OF BELONGING
ENCOUNTERING TALENT
Interlude is undoubtedly a 2025 favourite. It stands as a video-installation project directed by artist Rose Katembo in collaboration with Julia Arvelo, Bobby Leon, Zam Zam Warsame, Benedicte Lutumba, Hologramme & Anita Joh. Since it was
curated by LE FIFA x USINE C as part of the Festival’s program, I had the pleasure of discovering this project amidst the whirlwind of the 43rd Edition by meeting the whole artistic team. Through conversation with Rose, I became deeply appreciative of her vision and overall production process.
Interlude is an exploration of migrant identity through the experience of mobility - something the artists’ own path is defined by. Drawing parallels from her own life transitions, this serves as an invitation to explore the loneliness that arises when fragments of oneself are left behind in the pursuit of new places and beginnings.
Consequently, Interlude as a project comes to life through a series of intimate video portraits, where four african women trace the contours of identity through language. Invited by the artist to reflect on their mother tongues and the act of translation, their portraits move between poetry and personal memory. What unfolds is a layered meditation on code-switching, displacement, and identity. Like Rose, each woman has journeyed across continents, carrying only their first languages and fragments of home. In the dim glow of the installations, these dual identities begin to speak to one another; colliding, echoing, and eventually coalescing into something whole.
ROSE KATEMBO AND USINE C
Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rose Katembo settled in Montréal at the age of eight. Speaking four languages; French, English, Swahili, and Lingal; language serves both a survival tool and an expressive lens to the artist. Her work explores the intimate intersection of language and identity, shaped by her own migration story and, more recently, by her journey of relocating to London.
Since 1995, USINE C has been a dynamic hub for creation and performance in Montréal’s Centre-Sud district. It champions multidisciplinary programming at the intersection of theatre, dance, music, and media arts, supporting local and international artists through performances, residencies, masterclasses, and post-show conversations.
As mentioned, I was sent to visit Interlude on the 16th of March as It was presented as part of the Festival’ specially-curated programs. Stepping into Usine C, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.
Since 1995, USINE C has been a dynamic hub for creation and performance in Montréal’s Centre-Sud district. It champions multidisciplinary programming at the intersection of theatre, dance, music, and media arts, supporting local and international artists through performances, residencies, masterclasses, and post-show conversations.
As mentioned, I was sent to visit Interlude on the 16th of March as It was presented as part of the Festival’ specially-curated programs. Stepping into Usine C, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.
Multimedia installations had remained largely outside of my usual artistic vocabulary, and this first encounter felt both disorienting and daunting. Keeping in mind I was mostly used to the feel of a gallery exhibit, or a cinematic presentation, I was very pleasantly surprised. Usine C itself set the tone for discovery; the vastness of the space, the industrial yet intimately curated architecture, and the creative yet serene aura of this environment gave me confidence in the success of this collaboration.
Meeting Rose Katembo and her collaborators before entering the exhibition added an unexpected and meaningful layer to my visit. Their reflections on the work’s evolution created a sense of intimacy that shaped my entire experience, offering a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the artistic alchemy at play. Once again this offered a distinct appreciation of the artistic project, since I was used to meeting singular artists presenting their projects : film directors, visual artists, etc. As the collaborative aspect of this project was emphasized, I was reminded of the importance of community-building in the artistic industries.
Meeting Rose Katembo and her collaborators before entering the exhibition added an unexpected and meaningful layer to my visit. Their reflections on the work’s evolution created a sense of intimacy that shaped my entire experience, offering a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the artistic alchemy at play. Once again this offered a distinct appreciation of the artistic project, since I was used to meeting singular artists presenting their projects : film directors, visual artists, etc. As the collaborative aspect of this project was emphasized, I was reminded of the importance of community-building in the artistic industries.
REVISITING ONE’S IDENTITY
My experience of the exhibition unfolded in waves. First came the sensory immersion: the careful arrangement of lights, the thoughtful positioning of screens, the fluid videographic aesthetic, the presence of soundscapes weaving through the space. Each element harmonized progressively, yet maintained a sense of subtle tension, compelling me to move through the installation almost instinctively, as if following an invisible thread.
At the heart of Interlude was a narrative that intrigued as much as it unsettled. A central table, more than a mere object, served as an anchor around which stories of migration, memory, and transformation coalesced. The table was both a gathering place and a point of departure, symbolizing the fragile act of reconstructing belonging in unknown places. As I navigated the installation, a deeper sense of connection surfaced. The exhibition’s layering of fragmented narratives mirrored my own experience of constantly reinterpreting identity across places, cultures, and languages. It was an unexpected validation of a geographical and emotional fluidity I rarely see reflected in art.
At the heart of Interlude was a narrative that intrigued as much as it unsettled. A central table, more than a mere object, served as an anchor around which stories of migration, memory, and transformation coalesced. The table was both a gathering place and a point of departure, symbolizing the fragile act of reconstructing belonging in unknown places. As I navigated the installation, a deeper sense of connection surfaced. The exhibition’s layering of fragmented narratives mirrored my own experience of constantly reinterpreting identity across places, cultures, and languages. It was an unexpected validation of a geographical and emotional fluidity I rarely see reflected in art.
A SWEET AFTERTASTE
Ultimately, this project left me with a sharp pang of introspection. Having grown up between multiple cultural anchors myself, I found in Rose’s work an echo of that familiar balancing act: the challenge and beauty of weaving a story that can belong everywhere and nowhere at once. Overall, Interlude offered a profoundly layered experience; one that lingered beyond the physical space of Usine C.
Overall this project gave me a layered and enriching experience giving me the feeling that I hadnt stayed long enough. Just like herself, Rose’s exhibition will without a doubt travel through uncharted territories connecting with new audiences feeling a sense of ephemere sensorial enfranchisement. A highly recommended experience for whoever has the chance to dive into it.
WORDS: Solveig Wilson Carrier
@solveigcarrier
@solveigcarrier
2025
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