Public Artwork
Comme un poisson dans la ville
Locations:
See map: Google Maps
See map: Google Maps
See map: Google Maps
See map: Google Maps
See map: Google Maps
See map: Google Maps
See map: Google Maps
See map: Google Maps
See map: Google Maps
See map: Google Maps
Plateau Mont-Royal, Montréal, QC, Canada
See map: Google Maps
Artwork creator(s):
Boyer, Gilbert
Text author(s):
Boyer, Gilbert
Installation year:
1988
Remarks on location:
- Around the corner from Des Seigneurs Street and Notre-Dame Street East (Little Burgundy)
- Corner of Saint-Hubert and Cherrier Streets
- Around the corner from Saint-André and Cherrier Streets
- Corner of Napoleon Street and Avenue du Parc Lafontaine
- Corner of Saint-Hubert Street and Mont-Royal Avenue
- Corner of Saint-Denis and Villeneuve Streets
- Corner of Saint-Laurent Boulevard and Laurier Avenue
- On Hutchison Avenue, North of Prince-Arthur Street
- Corner of Duluth and Saint-Urbain Streets
- Formerly located around the corner from Laurier and Jeanne-Mance Streets
- Formerly on the corner of Richardson and Shearer Streets
Description:
The artwork consists of 12 plates affixed to different buildings in a given neighborhood. The 12th plate is hidden in the 10th plate, which is divided in two.
Text of the artwork:
Around the corner from Des Seigneurs Street and the Notre-Dame Street East (Little Burgundy):
C’EST ICI. VIENS. PLUS LOIN REGARDE LA-HAUT. TU LES VOIS EH BIEN ! PARFOIS, AU LIEU DE SCRUTER L’ETENDUE DE LA VILLE, L’HORIZON ELLES TOURNENT LES YEUX VERS MOI SOMBRES, OUBLIEES, PERCHEES AU-DESSUS DES LIONS, LES GARGOUILLES SE SONT FIGEES LA MONTAGNE SE CACHE SOUS LES NUAGES
Corner of Saint-Hubert and Cherrier Streets:
J’AI HESITE LONGTEMPS AVANT DE ME DECIDER (J’AI PEUT-ETRE TROP ATTENDU) MAIS AUJOURD’HUI C’EST FAIT. J’AI GLISSE MA LETTRE DANS LA BOITE ROUGE
Corner of Saint-André and Cherrier Streets:
CES MOTS ENCORE CHAUDS QUE J’AI A PEINE OUBLIES. SOUDAIN JE LES ENTENDS DERRIERE MOI. UNE VOIX INCERTAINE ARTICULE CHAQUE SYLLABE J’OUBLIE LE VENT, LA NEIGE, LES PLAQUES DE GLACE VIVE. JE RELEVE LA TETE. SURPRIS QU’ON LISE AINSI DANS MES PENSEES. UNE PETITE FILLE EMMITOUFLEE RELIT UNE PHRASE GELEE SUR LE MUR.
Corner of Napoleon Street and Avenue du Parc Lafontaine:
UN POINT LUMINEUX SE DEPLACE EN SILENCE. DERRIERE, UNE CICATRICE BLANCHE S’ALLONGE ET S’EVANOUIT PEU A PEU DANS LE CIEL. ON DEVINE BIEN QUE C’EST UN AVION. IL FAIT FRAIS. LES JOURNEES COMMENCENT A RACCOURCIR. JE VAIS ME PROMENER AU PARC.
Corner of Saint-Hubert Street and Mont-Royal Avenue:
MONTREAL S’EST INSTALLE ENTRE LES 45E ET 46E DEGRES DE LATITUDE NORD SUR LE FLEUVE. AUTOUR DE LA MONTAGNE. D’UN SOLSTICE A L’AUTRE, A CHAQUE JOUR, LE SOLEIL PASSE PAR ICI. L’ETE, SA FIGURE CULMINE, 15 HEURES 42 DE LUMIERE DEBORDANTE. L’HIVER, IL RAMPE ET S’ETEINT APRES 8 HEURES 42 DE CLARTE. ANNEE APRES ANNEE, DEPUIS SI LONGTEMPS.
Corner of Saint-Denis and Villeneuve Streets:
IL FALLAIT BIEN UN JOUR FLOU POUR QUE JE PRENNE LE TEMPS DE REGARDER AUTOUR DE MOI
Corner of Saint-Laurent Boulevard and Laurier Avenue:
QUELLE CHALEUR ! J’EN VIENS PRESQUE A REVER DE L’HIVER. JE ME SUIS ARRETE PRES D’ICI. UNE POUSSIERE DANS L’ŒIL. À LA POINTE DE L’ANCIEN HOTEL DE VILLE SE TIENT EN EQUILIBRE UN OISEAU NOIR. IL S’EVENTE LENTEMENT POUR SE RAFRAICHIR
Formerly located around the corner from Laurier Avenue and Jeanne-Mance Street:
C’ETAIT DIFFICILE DE REFUSER JE NE POUVAIS PAS ALLER PLUS LOIN. J’AVAIS PERDU. IL REGARDE DERRIERE LUI. TOUT CE TRAJET PARCOURU L’ETONNE DISTRAIT, SON PIED DEVIE SUR UNE VIELLE BALLE RONGEE PAR L’USURE
On Hutchison Avenue, North of Prince-Arthur Street:
IL PENCHE LA TETE VERS SON EPAULE / IL LUI MURMURE QUELQUES MOTS A L’OREILLE ELLE SOURIT. ELLE EST PLUS GRANDE QUE LUI.
IL NE S’EST PRESQUE RIEN PASSE ILS MARCHENT ENSEMBLE DE L’AUTRE COTE DE LA RUE
Corner of Duluth and Saint-Urbain Streets:
LA PLUIE M’A LAISSE UN GRAND MIROIR D’ASPHALTE. AUJOURD’HUI J’AI LE TEMPS. UN BOUT DE PAPIER TOMBE DU CIEL, SE BALANCE A GAUCHE, A DROITE, CHUTE AU RALENTI. J’AI VOULU LE PRENDRE. PIQUE DE DEUX GOUTTES NOIRES, UN PAPILLON BLANC SE POSE SUR MA MAIN SA DERNIERE JOURNEE. PEUT-ETRE.
Formerly at the corner of Richardson and Shearer Streets:
ICI FUT LE FORT ST-GABRIEL ET PRES D’ICI LE PERE LEMAISTRE FUT MASSACRE PAR LES IROQUOIS EN EMBUSCADE 26 AOUT
Text theme:
The text evokes excerpts from conversations overheard by the artist or his poetic reflections on everyday life as well as the historical aspect of a building. The text often transposes observations that belong to the private world into public space.
Artwork theme:
The artwork's sentences relate to a more personal, intimate world and to everyday life, rather than to historical events and issues of public interest. They recount trivial stories, evoke fugitive thoughts as well as bits of conversations heard by accident, which were then reorganized into seemingly illogical series. Visitors create their own links between the images that these fragments can trigger, resulting in an exchange, a mutual confidence. These works pay tribute to the ordinary, familiar experience that connects people.
History:
- Three plates no longer exist. The plate located at the corner of Laurier and Jeanne-Mance was destroyed during renovations. The plate located at the corner of Richardson and Shearer Streets has been destroyed by employees of the City of Montreal who did not know it was a work of art.The other plate that is missing is the one that stood at the corner of Cherrier and Saint-Hubert streets
- The exhibition Promenades, l'art dans la ville aims to bring the public to discover works that occupy public space, outside, works that the public has an opportunity to pass by regularly without really knowing who is hiding behind.
Event date(s):
2006 Dimensions:
Depth:
0.02 m
Owner(s):
Gilbert Boyer Document(s):
Syndicate
