The Shiatsung Project

By Brigitte Archambault. Translated by Aleshia Jensen. Published by Conundrum Press.

Softover, 208 pages, Colour, 2021.

A woman lives alone in a small house situated in a tidy yard surrounded by a seemingly impenetrable wall.

She spends her days reading, swimming, and watching TV. She eats regular meals and keeps her house clean. But the simplicity is deceiving, because the woman has no idea how she came to live in her house, and—most importantly–what exists beyond the wall. Her only source of information is a talking TV monitor in her living room called Shiatsung. The entity controlling the monitor is committed to keeping the woman hydrated and educated, but it refuses to answer any of her existential questions and keeps her under constant surveillance.

Lonely and frustrated, the woman begins to search for answers of her own. The Shiatsung Project explores surveillance culture and authoritarian control, and how they disrupt our very human need for connection, intimacy, and a meaningful life.

About Brigitte Archambault

Brigitte Archambault, born in 1973, lives in Montreal. After graduating with a degree in Fine Arts from Concordia University, her career debuted with solo and group painting and sculpture exhibitions in galleries in Quebec. Concurrent with this, she worked on animated film projects, including her own short films which have been screened at festivals worldwide. More recently, she has found the time to realize a dream: that of creating her first graphic novel.

Awards

• Winner, Best Comic Album Prize, Salon du livre de Trois Rivières, 2020
• Winner, Best First Comic Album Prize, Festival Québec BD, 2020
• Bédélys Jury Mention, Montreal Comic Arts Festival, 2020
• Finalist, Best Graphic Album, Prix BD des collégiens, 2020

Advance Praise for The Shiatsung Project

“Archambault’s style recalls a less crowded Chris Ware landscape, dominated by crisp architectural lines and solid colors that effectively communicate the grim, repetitive sterility of its world. It’s an eerie parable of authoritarianism, technological dependence, and the need for privacy and intimacy in the digital age. This strong debut marks Archambault as a creator to watch.” ~Publisher’s Weekly