Public Artwork
Tango de Montréal
Location:
North wall of a house , 4433 Rivard street, Montréal, QC, H2J 2N1, Canada
See map: Google Maps
Artwork creator(s):
Les industries perdues (Hébert, François; Purdy, Richard)
Text author(s):
Godin, Gérald
Collaborator(s):
Marcotte, Denis (brickmaker)
Installation year:
2000 Description:
This bas-relief reproduced the poem Tango de Montreal by Gérald Godin. The work is integrated into the north side of a house. The bricks are colored terracotta pink. The letters are carved into the bricks. A row of lights is at the bottom of the work. Each letter is covered with a black mortar which facilitates remote play.
Text of the artwork:
Sept heures et demie du matin métro de Montréal
c’est plein d'immigrants
ça se lève de bonne heure
ce monde-là
le vieux cœur de la ville
battrait-il donc encore
grâce à eux
ce vieux cœur usé de la ville
avec ses spasmes
ses embolies
ses souffles au cœur
et tous ses défauts
et toutes les raisons du monde qu’il aurait
de s’arrêter
de renoncer.
Artwork theme:
According to the artists, " […] our philosophy of integration is that the artwork must fit with the environment […] the integration challenge does not consist in installing the artist's work in the engineer's, the architect's or the urbanist's work, but to establish links between the location and those who live in it; these links will enrich our world "
(cited by Robert Myrand in « Tango de Montréal », Espace, No 53 [fall 2000]: 12).
History:
The work was done during the creation of the Place Gérald-Godin, as part of the redevelopment of the area surrounding the shrine of the metro station Mont-Royal.
Dimensions:
Height:
7.23m
Width:
7.23m Note(s):
The poem's title, the artist's name and the text reference are inscribed on the left side of the artwork. Gérald Godin was born in 1938 and died in 1994. He was a poet and Mercier county's MP between 1981 and 1985. A commitee approved the poem selection, which caused some controversy.
Artist's biography:
Richard Purdy
Author's biography:
L'ÎLE, le Centre de documentation virtuel sur la littérature québécoise
Owner(s):
City of Montréal 
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