Art critic and exhibition curator. After writing a dissertation on kitsch in Lourdes as part of her master’s degree in visual arts / applied arts, she has continued her research into the boundaries between the visual arts (contemporary art & graphic design) and sociology, examining the interplay between social behaviours and current artistic practices. Building on several years spent as a regional exhibitions officer at the Frac Occitanie-Toulouse and as an independent exhibition curator, she is regularly called upon as an expert for juries, art school diplomas, the Individual Grant for Creation (Aide individuelle à la création) awarded by the DRAC Occitanie, and public commissions under the French 1% artistic scheme. Since 2016, she has also served as artistic director of MEMENTO – Espace départemental d’art contemporain, an artistic laboratory project housed in a former Carmelite convent currently being brought back to life. She takes a particular interest in the emerging art scene, engaging in dialogue with artists across spaces not originally intended for exhibitions and contemporary creation. CURATORIAL APPROACH Karine Mathieu conducts research into new forms of exhibition-making, studying relational practices in dialogue with contemporary creation. She proposes alternative models to the conventional exhibition space by exploring venues and locations not typically designated for exhibitions. Her curatorial projects are rooted in the fields of popular beliefs and practices, placing experimentation and dialogue with artists at the heart of a collective creative process. Places / artists / mediators / audiences are at the centre of her curatorial approach.