Présences du littéraire dans l’espace public canadien - Installation and intervention

One potato, two potato...it's your life...

Marie-Claude Langevin — Wed, 20 May 2009 00:20:10 +0000

Artwork identification

Artwork creator(s):

Fernandes, Michael

Artwork creator(s):

Fernandes, Michael

Text author(s):

Fernandes, Michael

Text author(s):

Fernandes, Michael

Installation year:

2007

Remarks on location:

Occupied the space of Galerie du MAI, its windows and its neighbouring streets.

Artwork description

Source: MAI (2007). Michael Fernandes. One potato, two potato...it's you life.... Montréal: MAI

Description:

The artist offered an itinerary in the gallery and outside.

The MAI's eight windows were blocked up to present text fragments in fluorescent lettering.

Posters announcing lost cats were distributed on walls and lampposts throughout the surrounding streets. The poster was touched up by the artist, though he took care of preserving all the information.

On the other side of the large windows, the MAI's exhibition hall was plunged in darkness. Four stations were indicated on the ground. A soundtrack and projection were associated with each one.

Mention(s) légale(s) des illustrations:

Photo credits:

Remarks on image:

Photos 1 and 2: Installation in the windows (text). Photos 3 and 4: Installation of a series of posters

Text of the artwork:

While working for different people in the past

Je ne travaillais pas pour le gouvernement

I'm working for my country

Peu importe qui vient

I have not been working for government

Peu importe qui s'en va

whoever comes

whoever goes

ce n'est pas mon problème

if the people are being busy somewhere

Ils ne vont nulle part ailleurs partciper à quelque activité guerrière

si les gens sont occupés quelque part

they are not going anywhere else to some war-like activities

Text theme:

Relationship to work and country

Artwork theme:

Interpenetration of art and life, trade, exchanges, multiple voices, fragmented message

History

History:

Galerie du MAI gave carte blanche to Michael Fernandes, a Canadian artist known for his artwork and his ecclectic body of work. During an artist residency in Montreal, he shot short video, almost too simple little stories. One potato, two potato... is a game, a random game, but it is also a change of roles, a turn of events. This artwork traces a quest for identity in tongue-in-cheek style.

One potato, two potato ... it's your life ...
February 8 to March 31

Event date(s):

2007

Dimensions

Other information

Artist's biography:

Michael Fernandes

Document(s):

Michael Fernandes. One potato, two potato...it's you life...

Michael Fernandes

Lingua Aqua

Marie-Claude Langevin — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 20:51:00 +0000

Artwork identification

Artwork creator(s):

Cassidy, Melanie; Filimowicz, Michael; Marks, Brady; Pasquier, Philippe

Artwork creator(s):

Cassidy, Melanie

Filimowicz, Michael

Marks, Brady

Pasquier, Philippe

Text author(s):

Quignard, Pascal; Hesse, Hermann; Miller, Casey; Waldo Emerson, Ralph; Sapir, Edward

Text author(s):

Quignard, Pascal

Hesse, Hermann

Miller, Casey

Waldo Emerson, Ralph

Sapir, Edward

Installation year:

2009

Artwork description

Source: Surrey (2009). LinguaAqua. (http://www.surrey.ca/files/40-LinguaAqua2.pdf)

Description:

The structure is a self-enclosed fountain, with rain curtains and a reflective pool that contains a video monitor. The video shows a variety of community members speaking their native languages and employs a range of visual treatments

A mirror in the underside of the roof reflects the pool, the video images and viewers. Glass panels overhanging the roof are engraved with symbols drawn from a number of languages spoken in Surrey. Four support columns each house audio speakers that play a variety of sounds that complement or contrast with the content of the video. The audio component is transmitted through holes in the columns. These perforated designs form Braille texts related to the role of language across various cultures.

Mention(s) légale(s) des illustrations:

Photo credits:

Text of the artwork:

“You live a new life for every new language
you speak. If we spoke a different language,
we would perceive a somewhat different
world. If you know only one language, you
live only once.”
-Compilation of Czech proverbs (anonymous)

2.
“Language is an anonymous, collective and
unconscious art; the result of the creativity of
thousands of generations.”
-Edward Sapir

“Language is a city to the building of which
every human being brought a stone.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

3.
“Our native language is like a second skin,
so much a part of us we resist the idea that
it is constantly changing, constantly being
renewed.”
-Casey Miller

“Everything becomes a little different as soon
as it is spoken out loud.”
-Hermann Hesse

4.
“Language is for the empty mouth what
dreams are for closed eyes.”
-Pascal Quignard (translated from French by Philippe
Pasquier)

“He who loses his language loses his world.”
-Gaelic proverb

“A country without a language is a country
without a soul.”
-Gaelic – Irish proverb

Text theme:

Diversity and similarity of language across cultures

Artwork theme:

Diversity and similarity of language across cultures

The similarities and differences that link us and distinguish us between different cultures.

Dimensions

Other information

Artist's biography:

Michael Filimowicz

Author's biography:

Philippe Pasquier

Document(s):

LinguaAqua

Students’ multimedia art destined for Surrey parks

Surrey Public and Community Art diversity, language and place making

Terra Incognita

Marie-Claude Langevin — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 21:12:27 +0000

Artwork identification

Alternate title:

Earth In Disguise

Artwork creator(s):

Curry, Gwen

Artwork creator(s):

Curry, Gwen

Text author(s):

Butler Yeats, William

Text author(s):

Butler Yeats, William

Installation year:

2001

Artwork description

Source: City of Surrey (2010). Public Art. (http://www.surrey.ca/files/PubArtInsert-Series9.pdf)

Description:

Terra Incognita links the Ocean Park Library with its garden, bringing the garden inside and the library outside. The classical interior architecture of the building lends itself well to the large, clear panels inscribed with flora and fauna on either side of curving windows high above the patrons. The panels have an antiquated style much like old-world etchings with their black and white maps, hawk image and botanical drawings. On the exterior wall facing the garden, delicate script lettering above the windows reads, “Take down this book, and slowly read”.

Mention(s) légale(s) des illustrations:

Photo credits:

Text of the artwork:

Take down this book, and slowly read.

Text theme:

A time for thinking and resting.

Artwork theme:

The unknown, thought, literature

Dimensions

Other information

Note(s):

Quote from When You are Old by British poet William Butler Yeats:

WHEN you are old and gray and full of sleep
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true;
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face.

And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead,
And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.

Artist's biography:

Gwen Curry

Author's biography:

William Butler Yeats

Owner(s):

City of Surrey

Document(s):

Public Art : Terra Incognita

Circuit littéraire de Gabrielle Roy

Marie-Claude Langevin — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 19:02:03 +0000

Artwork identification

Artwork creator(s):

Gaboury, Étienne

Artwork creator(s):

Gaboury, Étienne

Text author(s):

Roy, Gabrielle

Text author(s):

Roy, Gabrielle

Installation year:

2008

Artwork description

Source : Photo transmited by par Marc André Brouillette

Source : Photo transmited by Marc André Brouillette

Description:

The installation consists of stations featuring plates engraved with quotes from Gabrielle Roy. Each monument is installed at the exact location described in the quote. Some sites also feature five chairs resembling the human body, all reminiscent of a classroom or theatrical composition, two fields that were very close to Gabrielle Roy's heart.

Mention(s) légale(s) des illustrations:

Photo credits:

Text of the artwork:

The other baby class was open to all
non-French-speaking children, who were
considered English-speaking though they
weren't really any of English origin, but
rather Russian, Polish, Italian, Spanish,
Irish, Czech, Dutch...

I became very attached to it and very
close to those children, and they taught
me a great deal about the folklore, songs
and dances of their people...

So much so that when Brother Joseph
suggested I move
up to a third or
fourth-year class a few years later, I
begged him to leave me with my little
immigrants.
- Enchantment and Sorrow

At the convent, the nuns fostered feelings
of heroic defence in us. Defying the law,
spending what little free time they had to
give us additional instruction, they
continued to teach us in French...

In my last years at school, spurred on,
steered by the sisters, I snagged all of
the prizes awarded by l'Association des
Canadiens français du Manitoba to the
students who came in first in the French
exams.
- Ma petite rue qui m'a menée
autour du monde

Text theme:

Autobiographical stories, self-discovery, quest for identity

Artwork theme:

Discovery of the author's identity, of a place of significance in her life. Houses inhabited by the author, or sometimes by members of her family, and places that inspired her work.

Text reference:

Ma petite rue qui m'a menée autour du monde

La Détresse et l'enchantement

History

History:

The Gabrielle Roy Literary Circuit is a project initiated by Friends of Gabrielle Roy, produced in association with several partners. It was launched in fall 2008 to commemorate the centenary of Gabrielle Roy's birth, in March 2009.

Event date(s):

2008

Dimensions

Other information

Note(s):

The Gabrielle Roy Literary Circuit is a multidisciplinary project that aims to spread the work of Gabrielle Roy, making it more accessible in places that have influenced her literary work.

Artist's biography:

Étienne Gaboury

Author's biography:

Gabrielle Roy

Document(s):

Le Circuit littéraire

Sur les traces de Gabrielle Roy

Homage to Parenthood

Marie-Claude Langevin — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 20:14:09 +0000

Artwork identification

Artwork creator(s):

Latour, Toni

Artwork creator(s):

Latour, Toni

Text author(s):

Latour, Toni

Text author(s):

Latour, Toni

Collaborator(s):

Her father

Installation year:

2010

Remarks on location:

Brighouse Station

Artwork description

Source: Toni Latour (2010). Toni Latour News. (http://www.tonilatour.com/upcoming.html)

Description:

Homage to Parenthood is a six-panel public art installation on display at the Canada Line Brighouse Station. On the panels are 100 clichés, idioms and sayings written in colours that mirror those of the rainbow.

Mention(s) légale(s) des illustrations:

Photo credits:

Text of the artwork:

Life is a bowl of cherries.
Nobody's perfect.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Better late than never.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
Don't shoot the messenger.
Always look on the bright side of life.
Patience is a virtue.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Don't cry over spilled milk.
This too shall pass.
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
Every dog has his day.
It's not the end of the world.
Good things come to those who wait.
Stop and smell the roses.
Do it with a smile on your face and song in your heart.
Turn over a new leaf.
Seize the day.

Rise and shine.
What you see is what you get.
Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
Only time will tell.
If you want it done right, do it yourself.
Measure twice, cut one.
The grass is always greener on the other side.
One bad apple spoils the bunch.
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.
That's the way the cookie crumbles.
If the shoe fits, wear it.
You're one to talk.
It's my way or the highway.
No pain, no gain.
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
Get your feet wet.
Break a leg.
Don't make a mountain out of a molehill.
Stand your ground.
Live and learn.

Think good thoughts.
Home is where the heart is.
No man is an island.
One day at a time.
Get off your high horse.
Beggars can't be choosers.
What goes around comes around.
You reap what you sow.
Necessity is the mother of invention.
Ask and you shall receive.
It's a dog eat dog world.
Better safe than sorry.
Don't count your chickens before they're hatched.
Wait for the dust to settle.
No news is good news.
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
Put your best foot forward.
Take the bull by the horns.
Keep your head above water.
Life goes on.

You can do it.
Get with the program.
Don't be a chicken.
Nip it the bud.
Wha'ts good for the goose is good for the gander.
Laughter is the best medicine.
You can't have your cake and eat it too.
Roll with the punches.
Every rose has its thorn.
Don't put your foot in your mouth.
Hold out an olive branch.
Take it on the chin.
It could be worse.
Put your money where your mouth is.
Silence is golden.
Waste not, want not.
The third time's a charm.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Count your blessings.
Don't rock the boat.

Every cloud has a silver lining.
There are plenty of fish in the sea.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Tomorrow's a new day.
Many hands make light work.
Keep your chin up.
Get on the ball.
You can't teach an old dog new tricks.
His bark is worse than his bite.
There's a light at the end of the tunnel.
Money doesn't grow on trees.
Cross that bridge when you come to it.
Don't hold your breath.
When it rains, it pours.
Time flies when you're having fun.
All that glitters is not gold.
The best things in life are free.
You can't judge a book by its cover.
That's the bottom line.

Text theme:

Clichés, idioms

Artwork theme:

This work explores ideas of language, family upbringing, and the cultural specificity of clichés and idioms. It also exists as an homage to her recently deceased father.

History

History:

Part of the 2010 Vancouver Biennale

Event date(s):

2010

Dimensions

Other information

Note(s):

"I began the project by writing down all the sayings that my dad would use, and then did research on commonly used idioms and clichés from North America, which are incredibly culturally specific. From there, I had tons to choose from and the process really moved into the editing phase. It was a lot like writing a 100-line poem. The phonetic flow of each line was really important, along with the interconnected meaning. There are blocks of text that thematically relate to one another." Toni Latour

Matthew Hoekstra (2010). Dad may be gone, but not his words. Richmond Review
(http://www.bclocalnews.com/richmond_southdelta/richmondreview/entertainment/95465209.html)

Artist's biography:

Toni Latour

Document(s):

Homage to Parenthood

Dad may be gone, but not his words

VB Learn

Toni Latour - Text Projects

There is no place like home

Marie-Claude Langevin — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 16:01:37 +0000

Artwork identification

Artwork creator(s):

Lum, Ken

Artwork creator(s):

Lum, Ken

Text author(s):

Lum, Ken

Text author(s):

Lum, Ken

Installation year:

2001

Artwork description

Source: Mois de la photo (2001). THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME. (http://www.moisdelaphoto.com/2001/lieux/fr_bleury.html)

Source: Craddock, Sacha (2001). Ken Lum, There is no place like home. (http://www.mip.at/en/werke/464.html)

Description:

Giant banner featuring portraits of people from various backgrounds along with their personal thoughts.

Mention(s) légale(s) des illustrations:

Photo credits:

Text of the artwork:

Je pourrai jamais me
sentir chez moi ici
J'me sens pas chez moi ici

Wow, j'aime vraiment ça ici
J'vais jamais retourner chez moi!

J'suis écoeuré de vos idées
sur les immigrants
C'est aussi chez nous ici

Text theme:

Country of origin, nationality, "internationality", immigration

Artwork theme:

Country of origin, emotions related to immigration and differences between nationalities. Awareness that home (the place that welcomes you) can be anywhere, regardless of nationality or religion.

History

History:

This project was originally produced by the Museum in Progress for the facade of the Kunsthalle in Vienna, in association with the Canadian Embassy and the League for Human Rights. The text was in English.

Event date(s):

2001

Dimensions

Other information

Note(s):

This Canadian artist presents There is no place like home, designed for the facade of the Kunsthalle in Vienna. This work involves various protagonists, colours and opinions. The aim of the project is to give the public the means to consider the image differently depending on whether it is displayed in a public or private space. More specifically, he is interested in examining the way immigrants reconstruct their identity in their host country.

Artist's biography:

Ken Lum

Document(s):

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Ken Lum, There is no place like home

Monument for East Vancouver

Marie-Claude Langevin — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 18:56:00 +0000

Artwork identification

Artwork creator(s):

Lum, Ken

Artwork creator(s):

Lum, Ken

Text author(s):

Lum, Ken

Text author(s):

Lum, Ken

Installation year:

2009

Artwork description

Source: Vancouver (2009). Monument for East Vancouver. (http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/cultural/publicart/)

Description:

Neon cross. It contains the words "East" and "Van" intersecting at the letter "A", in the manner of a crossword puzzle.

Mention(s) légale(s) des illustrations:

Photo credits:

Text of the artwork:

East Van

Text theme:

The words serve both as territorial markers and as a revival of an underground symbol of pride and rebellion in East Vancouver.

Artwork theme:

Creates multiple references and associations, including ones with religious and irreverent undertones, which can be interpreted as an affirmation of the identity of the East neighborhoods of Vancouver.

Dimensions

Height:

18.2m

Other information

Note(s):

“[The crossword] signifies the identity of those living in the Eastern part of the city and is often accompanied with the word “rules”. [This] is ironic, as traditionally those in the West of the city have held the economic and political power, though the real estate boom more recently has rendered the boundary between East and West more fluid. The piece monumentalizes a rearguard gesture of defiance, protest, and assertion of identity.”
- Ken Lum

City of Vancouver (2009). Monument for East Vancouver.
(http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/cultural/publicart/2010/mm_vaneastmonument.htm)

Artist's biography:

Ken Lum

Owner(s):

City of Vancouver

Document(s):

Ken Lum constructs icon to rule over East Vancouver

Monument to 'East Van' rises near VCC terminal

Monument for East Vancouver

"Mapping and Marking" public art program

A Thousand Kisses Deep

Marie-Claude Langevin — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 20:23:35 +0000

Artwork identification

Artwork creator(s):

Pelletier, Éric

Artwork creator(s):

Pelletier, Éric

Text author(s):

Cohen, Leonard

Text author(s):

Cohen, Leonard

Collaborator(s):

Bourgeois, Olivier; Martineau, Annie; Turgeon, Amélie

Installation year:

2010

Artwork description

Source : Photo transmited by Marie-Claude Langevin

Description:

The installation consists of a gigantic glass prism with a rectangular base, which is split in the middle to disclose a silky texture that longs to be touched. The rectangle is covered with letters through which we distinguish the excerpt of a text.

Mention(s) légale(s) des illustrations:

Photo credits:

Text of the artwork:

You the live I’m
Turning you tricks
Odds your ditch are
I’m getting it fixed
Lefethereas toifallit’s
To real stay beat alive

Text theme:

Poetry, Sensual

Artwork theme:

The team from Éric Pelletier, architectes has designed a work of art that is masculine, strong, dark and subtly sensual, a reflection of the poet who inspired it. Leonard Cohen's A Thousand Kisses Deep / Dans les profondeurs de mille baisers evokes thoughts about the man and his poetry, but especially on the depth and mystery of rich artistic production.

History

History:

From May 18 to October 31, 2010, in the entrance hall of the Grande Bibliothèque, Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ) will be hosting the exhibition Architectures en vers, which consists of five architectural installations inspired by poetry. These installations were created by collectives of well-known and up-and-coming architects working with glass artists. The exhibition is presented as part of the “Montréal, 2010 City of Glass” program, under the direction of the Board of Montreal Museum Directors.

Event date(s):

2010

Dimensions

Other information

Note(s):

A Thousand Kisses Deep
The ponies run, the girls are young,
The odds are there to beat.
You win a while, and then it’s done –
Your little winning streak.
And summoned now to deal
With your invincible defeat,
You live your life as if it’s real,
A Thousand Kisses Deep.
I’m turning tricks, I’m getting fixed,
I’m back on Boogie Street.
You lose your grip, and then you slip
Into the Masterpiece.
And maybe I had miles to drive,
And promises to keep:
You ditch it all to stay alive,
A Thousand Kisses Deep.
And sometimes when the night is slow,
The wretched and the meek,
We gather up our hearts and go,
A Thousand Kisses Deep.
Confined to sex, we pressed against
The limits of the sea:
I saw there were no oceans left
For scavengers like me.
I made it to the forward deck.
I blessed our remnant fleet –
And then consented to be wrecked,
A Thousand Kisses Deep.
I’m turning tricks, I’m getting fixed,
I’m back on Boogie Street.
I guess they won’t exchange the gifts
That you were meant to keep.
And quiet is the thought of you,
The file on you complete,
Except what we forgot to do,
A Thousand Kisses Deep.
And sometimes when the night is slow,
The wretched and the meek,
We gather up our hearts and go,
A Thousand Kisses Deep.
The ponies run, the girls are young,
The odds are there to beat…

Artist's biography:

Éric Pelletier

Author's biography:

Leonard Cohen

Document(s):

Architecture en vers exhibition at Montreal's Grande Bibliothèque

Architectures en vers, présentée dans le cadre de Montréal, ville de verre 2010

Table-ronde - Exposition “Architectures en vers” à la Grande Bibliothèque

Rencontre au confluent

Marie-Claude Langevin — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 20:06:30 +0000

Artwork identification

Artwork creator(s):

Bergeron, Suzanne

Artwork creator(s):

Bergeron, Suzanne

Text author(s):

Laferrière, Dany

Text author(s):

Laferrière, Dany

Installation year:

2010

Artwork description

Source : Photo transmited by Marie-Claude Langevin

Description:

Group of glass panels with a concrete block. On the vertical panel, we can see the text and a path created with 1 ¢ coins. On the horizontal panel, the artist has inlaid wooden wafers and a recycled cardboard lattice.

Mention(s) légale(s) des illustrations:

Photo credits:

Text of the artwork:

J’ai toujours pensé que c’était le livre qui franchissait les siècles pour parvenir jusqu’à nous.
Jusqu’à ce que je comprenne en voyant cet homme que c’est le lecteur qui fait le déplacement.

Text theme:

Litérature

Artwork theme:

Rencontre au confluent is a glass book that opens onto the world and artistic creation – both architectural and literary. Here, the designer is not inspired by the poet, but rather pays tribute to him. The viewer is invited to make a connection with Dany Laferrière’s novel L’énigme du retour (2009 Médicis prize), published by Éditions du Boréal.

Text reference:

L'énigme du retour

History

History:

Event date(s):

2010

Dimensions

Other information

Note(s):

Suzanne Bergeron of Amiot Bergeron architectes reveals her deepest thoughts in a work of shadow and glass that is highly moving in its simplicity.

Author's biography:

Dany Laferrière

Document(s):

Architecture en vers exhibition at Montreal's Grande Bibliothèque

Architectures en vers, présentée dans le cadre de Montréal, ville de verre 2010

Table-ronde - Exposition “Architectures en vers” à la Grande Bibliothèque

Murmures dans la main du temps

Marie-Claude Langevin — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 19:50:04 +0000

Artwork identification

Artwork creator(s):

Collectif C-M-R

Artwork creator(s):

Collectif C-M-R

Text author(s):

Vigneault, Gilles

Text author(s):

Vigneault, Gilles

Collaborator(s):

Cousineau, Florent; Montero, Alejandro; Rheault, Cindy Diane

Installation year:

2010

Artwork description

Source : Photo transmited by Marie-Claude Langevin

Description:

Murmures dans la main du temps is a spiral sculpture. Its labyrinthine structure of woven raw material evokes movement, inviting the viewer to stroll along, carried by the words of the poet from Natashquan. All words are stained yellow, except for the word "rouge" (red), which is red.

Mention(s) légale(s) des illustrations:

Photo credits:

Text of the artwork:

Un jour je ferai mon grand cerf-volant
Un côté rouge, un côté blanc
Un jour je ferai mon grand cerf-volant
Un côté rouge, un côté blanc
Un côté tendre
Un jour je ferai mon grand cerf-volant
J’y ferai monter vos cent mille enfants
Ils vont m’entendre
Je les vois venir du soleil levant

Puis j’attellerai les chevaux du vent
Un cheval rouge, un cheval blanc
Puis j’attellerai les chevaux du vent
Un cheval rouge, un cheval blanc
Un cheval pie
Puis j’attellerai les chevaux du vent
Puis nous irons voir tous les océans
S’ils sont en vie
Si les océans sont toujours vivants

Par-dessus les bois, par-dessus les champs
Un oiseau rouge, un oiseau blanc
Par-dessus les bois, par-dessus les champs
Un oiseau rouge, un oiseau blanc
Un oiseau-lyre
Par-dessus les bois, par-dessus les champs
Qui nous mènera chez le Mal méchant
Pour le détruire
Bombe de silence et couteau d’argent

Nous mettrons le mal à feu et à sang
Un soleil rouge, un soleil blanc
Nous mettrons le mal à feu et à sang
Un soleil rouge, un soleil blanc
Un soleil sombre
Nous mettrons le mal à feu et à sang
Un nuage monte, un autre descend
Un jour sans ombre
Puis nous raserons la ville en passant

Quand nous reviendrons, le coeur triomphant
Un côté rouge, un côté blanc
Quand nous reviendrons, le coeur triomphant
Un côté rouge, un côté blanc
Un côté homme
Quand nous reviendrons, le coeur triomphant
Alors vous direz ; ce sont nos enfants
Quel est cet homme
Qui les a menés loin de leurs parents ?

Je remonterai sur mon cerf-volant
Un matin rouge, un matin blanc
Je remonterai sur mon cerf-volant
Un matin rouge, un matin blanc
Un matin blême
Je remonterai sur mon cerf-volant
Et vous laisserez vos cent mille enfants
Chargés d’eux-mêmes
Pour jeter les dés dans la main du temps

Pour jeter les dés dans la main du temps

Text theme:

Evokes childhood, idealism, the willingness to go higher

Artwork theme:

Evokes childhood, Earth and hopes for a better world.

Text reference:

Le grand cerf-volant

History

History:

Event date(s):

2010

Dimensions

Other information

Note(s):

The C-M-R collective, which brings together a multidisciplinary artist (Florent Cousineau), a graduate architect (Alejandro Montero, Tergos ecological architecture and building) and a photographer (Cindy Diane Rheault, images ECOterre), was inspired by Le Grand cerf-volant (Éditions le vent qui vire, 1982) by Gilles Vigneault, to design a sculpture that evokes childhood, Earth, and hopes for a better world.

Author's biography:

Gilles Vigneault

Document(s):

Architecture en vers exhibition at Montreal's Grande Bibliothèque

Architectures en vers, présentée dans le cadre de Montréal, ville de verre 2010

Table-ronde - Exposition “Architectures en vers” à la Grande Bibliothèque

Vers tissés serré

Marie-Claude Langevin — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 19:38:15 +0000

Artwork identification

Artwork creator(s):

The Menkès Shooner Dagenais LeTourneux Team

Artwork creator(s):

L'équipe Menkès Shooner Dagenais LeTourneux / The Menkès Shooner Dagenais LeTourneux Team

Text author(s):

Beaulieu, Michel; Beausoleil, Claude; Brault, Jacques; Melançon, Robert; Brossard, Jacques; Caccia, Fulvio; Chamberland, Paul; D'amour, Stéphane; Miron, Gaston; Monette, Hélène; Nepveu, Pierre; Plourde, Danny; Théoret, France

Text author(s):

Beaulieu, Michel

Beausoleil, Claude

Brault, Jacques

Melançon, Robert

Brossard, Jacques

Caccia, Fulvio

Chamberland, Paul

D'amour, Stéphane

Miron, Gaston

Monette, Hélène

Nepveu, Pierre

Plourde, Danny

Théoret, France

Collaborator(s):

Campeau, Sylvain; La Maison de la poésie de Montréal

Installation year:

2010

Artwork description

Source : Photo transmited by Marie-Claude Langevin

Description:

Created by assembling hundreds of glass jars, the installation Vers tissés serré sends visitors on a poetic journey through Montreal, with help from words by Gaston Miron, Pierre Nepveu, Jacques Brault, Claude Beausoleil, Hélène Monette, Stéphane D’Amours, Paul Chamberland, Fulvio Caccia, Michel Beaulieu, Nicole Brossard, France Théoret and Danny Plourde. Each element distinguishes itself through the poetry it displays.

Mention(s) légale(s) des illustrations:

Photo credits:

Text of the artwork:

Excerpt:

Montréal tu me perds Montréal c'est bien toi

dans ces rues dénudées dans des blocs de verre

ces images et des livres te contant des histoires

les faux sans fond d'une ruelle où nul ne va

plus loin c'est encore toi plus avant dans le vide

tu bâtis pauvre ville pauvre enfance infinie

Text theme:

Poetic Montreal journey, city

Artwork theme:

Urban density. The city.

Text reference:

Variables

Sans fin Montréal

Montréal, tu t'en vas

Il n'y a plus de chemin

Au petit matin

Montréal

Vue du mont

Dans l'abstraction proliférance urbaine

Le mal du pays

Temps linéaire

Mi-juillet

Villeray

Monologue de l'aliénation délirante

La femme qui dort dans le métro

Vers quelque (sommes nombreux à être seul)

History

History:

From May 18 to October 31, 2010, in the entrance hall of the Grande Bibliothèque, Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ) will be hosting the exhibition Architectures en vers, which consists of five architectural installations inspired by poetry. These installations were created by collectives of well-known and up-and-coming architects working with glass artists. The exhibition is presented as part of the “Montréal, 2010 City of Glass” program, under the direction of the Board of Montreal Museum Directors.

Event date(s):

2010

Dimensions

Other information

Note(s):

The Menkès Shooner Dagenais LeTourneux Team (architects) is concerned with the issue of urban density. The city, when it shows true density, is a viable alternative to urban sprawl and can be perceived from the perspective of sustainable development.

Document(s):

Architecture en vers exhibition at Montreal's Grande Bibliothèque

Architectures en vers, présentée dans le cadre de Montréal, ville de verre 2010

Table-ronde - Exposition “Architectures en vers” à la Grande Bibliothèque

Untitled (It)

Marie-Claude Langevin — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:01:54 +0000

Artwork identification

Artwork creator(s):

Kruger, Barbara

Artwork creator(s):

Kruger, Barbara

Text author(s):

Kruger, Barbara

Text author(s):

Kruger, Barbara

Installation year:

2010

Remarks on location:

On the facade of the Art Gallery of Ontario

Artwork description

Source: Photo provided by Marie-Claude Langevin

Description:

The artwork consists of a series of found images and statements.

Mention(s) légale(s) des illustrations:

Photo credits:

Text of the artwork:

LOVE IT

SHOVE IT

PRAISE IT

PLEASE IT

DOUBT IT

SHAME IT

BLAME IT

KISS IT

BUY IT

BELIEVE IT

Text theme:

Imperatives imposed on the public by advertisers

Artwork theme:

Explores how photography informs and transforms human behaviour, especially via the medium's connections to mass media, advertising, consumerism and propaganda.

How we are to one another

History

History:

The installation responds to CONTACT’s theme for 2010, “Pervasive Influence,” which considers how photography informs and transforms human behaviour, especially via the medium’s connections to mass media, advertising, consumerism and propaganda.

May 1 - August 30, 2010

Event date(s):

2010

Dimensions

Other information

Note(s):

“I work with pictures and words because they have the ability to determine who we are and who we aren’t.”

Barbara Kruger

Artist's biography:

Barbara Kruger

Document(s):

American Artist Barbara Kruger to Appropriate AGO Façade

Barbara Kruger - Scotiabank CONTACT

Making a statement

AGO paid to be wrapped in advertising

Questions & Artists: American artist Barbara Kruger shakes things up on the AGO's façade

A Tale of Two Children: A Work for Strathcona

Marie-Claude Langevin — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 14:20:01 +0000

Artwork identification

Artwork creator(s):

Lum, Ken

Artwork creator(s):

Lum, Ken

Text author(s):

Lum, Ken

Text author(s):

Lum, Ken

Installation year:

2005

Artwork description

Source : Photo transmited by Marc André Brouillette

Description:

Two large aluminum panels. On one side, an image; on the other, text. One shows an unhappy Caucasian boy. The other, a smiling young Asian girl and an adult woman.

Mention(s) légale(s) des illustrations:

Photo credits:

Text of the artwork:

What an idiot!
What an idiot
you are!
What an utterly
useless idiot
you are!

You so smart.
You make me proud
you so smart.
I so proud
you so smart.

Text theme:

Conjunctions and disjunctions between visual and verbal imagery

Artwork theme:

Parenting
The anecdotal is pitted against stereotypes
Social criticism
The neighborhood

Dimensions

Other information

Note(s):

The artist grew up two blocks away from the works yard.

Artist's biography:

Ken Lum

Owner(s):

Vancouver

Document(s):

Ken Lum: A Tale of Two Children

Public Art in Vancouver. Angels Among Lions

Les Mots (volet 2)

Marie-Claude Langevin — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 14:07:13 +0000

Artwork identification

Artwork creator(s):

Faubert, Julie

Artwork creator(s):

Faubert, Julie

Text author(s):

Faubert, Julie

Text author(s):

Faubert, Julie

Dictionnaire / Dictionary

Installation year:

2010

Remarks on location:

Location of the inscriptions, see: Figure 7

Artwork description

Source: Dare-Dare, Julie Faubert (2009). Les Mots. (http://lesmots.dare-dare.org)

Description:

An urban intervention project which comprises some 125 words* written in an ephemeral manner on the sidewalk, along with dates - lost words (1900-2000), new words (1900-2000) and invented words (2010). New words are in black; lost words, in white; and invented words, in pink.

* The dates represent the year in which each word appeared in a dictionary or disappeared from it (the dictionary being, as it changed name throughout the century, the Petit Larousse illustré, the Nouveau Petit Larousse illustré, the Petit Larousse and the Larousse illustré).

Mention(s) légale(s) des illustrations:

Photo credits:

Text of the artwork:

LOST WORDS

aérivore 1951

aéromancie 1959

bancocratie 1924

barbariser 1959

biophilie 1924

brouillement 1981

civilisable 1998

corporalité 1951

défeuiller 1998

demi-monde 1998

dentellerie 1968

désaveugler 1951

échappade 1959

emmiellure 1952

épuise-volante 1935

essuie-plume 1981

galantiser 1951

hausse-pieds 1968

ignorantisme 1959

illimitable 1959

immesurable 1958

impresse 1959

incalculablement 1952

inconquis 1951

indisciplinable 1981

indomptabilité 1959

inobéissance 1959

intégrisme 1959

journoyer 1951

juste-milieu 1984

libertiner 1959

magisme 1959

malséance 1981

météoromancie 1988

monarchiser 1959

monopode 1951

mugueter 1968

néophobe 1959

nonchaloir 1968

oisivement 1998

oublieur 1953

pantouflerie 1959

recontinuer 1959

redormir 1959

reniflerie 1959

rhabilleur 1998

robeuse 1977

s’entre-baiser 1952

servilisme 1959

sous-jupe 1981

tantet 1959

tortuosité 1981

traînasse 1959

trifouiller 2006

tue-vent 1959

vaguesse 1924

vacillation 1981

végéto-animal 1959

INVENTED WORDS

amouriste 2010

anamour 2010

aquoiboniste 2010

choubouler 2010

criminogène 2010

euphorienne 2010

madamour 2010

outremonde 2010

NEW WORDS

applaudimètre 1985

archiver 1959

assoiffer 1981

budgéter 1989

calculatrice 1952

cash 1952

catégoriser 1981

civilisé 1959

classable 1981

compartimenter 1935

compétitif 1959

comportement 1951

comptabiliser 1941

concurrentiel 1959

conformisme 1952

contrôlabilité 1981

cosmos 1952

créativité 1968

effeuilleuse 1981

errance 1951

espace-temps 1968

esthétisme 1951

états-unien 1989

éveilleur 1989

exproprié 1989

extraterrestre 1980

extrémisme 1935

fantasme 1959

fric 1951

giga 1959

gratte-ciel 1924

gratte-pieds 1951

hermétisme 1951

homogénéiser 1906

incompréhension 1935

intégrisme 1959

inuktitut 1993

invivable 1959

linéarité 1981

made in 1981

méthodologie 1952

miniaturiser 1952

minijupe 1968

minoritaire 1935

misandre 199?

multimillionnaire 1941

nano 1959

normaliser 1935

normalité 1959

onirique 1959

optimal 1959

orgasme 1959

orthogonalité 1981

performant 1977

post-it 1998

privatiser 1981

pur-sang 1951

quantifiable 1981

racisme 1948

rentabiliser 1971

semi-liberté 1981

s’entre-baiser 1952

sous-humanité 1981

standard 1924

sud-américain 1959

suralimenté 1991

surréel 1959

surexploiter 1981

surproduire 1951

unijambiste 1951

Text theme:

The artist divided the words into series: hunger, feet, capital, power, order and control, America, art, morals, lost floating, measurement.

Artwork theme:

The project uses city space as a space for collective thought about the words we use. The lines of the Quartier des Faubourgs's sidewalks become reading surfaces that flow to the rhythm of passers-by. The act of walking becomes a play on words, a constellation of ideas and of whimsical, critical, perhaps even cynical word associations.

History

History:

The intervention is carried out in two stages:
Action 1: December 3, 2009
Action 2: June-July 2010
As part of Dare-Dare's regular programming

Event date(s):

2010

Dimensions

Other information

Note(s):

"Je porte un regard critique sur les mots qui nous permettent (ou non) de penser, les mots que l’on ne malmène pas assez, les mots qui, pour être vraiment exacts, devraient eux aussi être inventés constamment. Quelles sont ces vagues – apparition et disparition de mots – qui, à travers les siècles, nous forgent une pensée particulière? Ces mots qui entrent et sortent de nos bouches, apparaissent un jour, on ne sait trop pourquoi et se collent à nous pour quelque temps : qu’est-ce qu’ils trimbalent avec eux? [Ce] projet utilise l’espace de la ville comme espace collectif de réflexion sur les mots que nous employons." – Julie Faubert

Source: Julie Faubert (2010). Les Mots – Projet. <http://lesmots.dare-dare.org/projet>

Artist's biography:

Julie Faubert

Source:

lautrechatnoir@live.fr

Document(s):

Entre les murs des galeries

Les Mots

Sous l'aile, le vent...

Marie-Claude Langevin — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:00:27 +0000

Artwork identification

Alternate title:

Doux (12) essai sur le vent

Artwork creator(s):

Forget, Normand

Artwork creator(s):

Forget, Normand

Text author(s):

Forget, Normand

Text author(s):

Forget, Normand

Installation year:

1997

Remarks on location:

The installation is located on the second floor of the establishment, in the corridors of the administrative section.

Artwork description

Source: Centre d'Exposition Lanaudière (1998). L’autobus du 1%. Charlemagne: Centre d'Exposition Lanaudière

Description:

Pictorial and sculptural installation consisting in three elements: a sculpture in the form of a stylized angel wing, a "wing" made up of ten panels of painted aluminium and a painting on a sheet of aluminium.

Mention(s) légale(s) des illustrations:

Photo credits:

Text of the artwork:

Chinook, mistral, sirocco, alizé, simoun, bourrasque, cyclone
Miroir
N E
Souffle
Liberté

Text theme:

The wind, an imaginary world

Artwork theme:

A journey; offers a cognitive space

Dimensions

Other information

Owner(s):

Elementary school aux Quatre-Vents

Document(s):

Les œuvres du 1%. Les écoles (2e partie)

L’autobus du 1%

Poème illustré en boîte

Marie-Claude Langevin — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 14:05:18 +0000

Artwork identification

Artwork creator(s):

Leblanc, Pierre

Artwork creator(s):

Leblanc, Pierre

Text author(s):

Carême, Maurice

Text author(s):

Carême, Maurice

Installation year:

1986

Artwork description

Source: Centre d'Exposition Lanaudière (1998). L’autobus du 1%. Charlemagne: Centre d'Exposition Lanaudière

Description:

The installation consists of two gates that separate the main corridor from the one leading to the school yard. The gates are mounted on casters to allow them to close.

Mention(s) légale(s) des illustrations:

Photo credits:

Text of the artwork:

Si j'avais un [symbole d'avion] / Je n'aurais plus besoin [symbole d'ailes] / Je jouerais à saut' [symbole de mouton] / Au milieu des [photographie d'oiseaux]

Si j'avais un [symbole d'avion] / Je m'en irais jusqu'en [symbole de la calligraphie chinoise] / Et les [photographie du mot "les"] filles du Japon / Seraient alors mes voisines [photographie du mot "voisines"]

Si j'avais un [symbole d'avion] / Je partirais voir de [photographie du mot "de"] près / Les hauts volcans, les [symbole de lions] / Les [symbole d'une pagode] du Tibet

Si j'avais un [symbole d'avion] / Je ferai le tour du [symbole d'un globe terrestre] / En tirant les [photographie d'une chevelure] blonds / Des [image d'un astre] vagabondes

Text theme:

Nursery rhyme

Artwork theme:

Elements that populate the everyday life of children

Dimensions

Height:

2.68m

Width:

4.95m

Depth:

0.16 m

Other information

Note(s):

Poem by Maurice Carême, a French teacher in Grade 4, L'Avion.

Artist's biography:

Pierre Leblanc

Owner(s):

École primaire des Hautbois

Tree of Knowledge, fragments

Marie-Claude Langevin — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 02:02:52 +0000

Artwork identification

Artwork creator(s):

Chew, Nancy; Metz, Jacqueline

Artwork creator(s):

Chew, Nancy

Metz, Jacqueline

Text author(s):

Various: Salinger, Jerome David; Aristotle

Text author(s):

Salinger, Jerome David

Aristotle

Installation year:

2008

Artwork description

Source: Photo provided by Nancy Chew & Jacqueline Metz

Description:

Engraved images carved into bluestone suggest fragments of a magnificent tree, shadows of the Tree of Knowledge. Dappled amongst the imagery are literary quotes personally selected by library donors. Each piece contributes to the whole, while remaining individual.

Mention(s) légale(s) des illustrations:

Photo credits:

Text of the artwork:

Incomplete

The woman I am
Is not what you see
Move over love
Make room for me

The energy of the mind is the essence of life
Aristotle (selected by Sophie, Tony, Sienna Salcito)

I'm quite illiterate, but I read a lot
J.D. Salinger (selected by Michael Mok)

Text theme:

Literature

Artwork theme:

The imprint of the community on the plaza

Dimensions

Other information

Artist's biography:

Metz & Chew

Owner(s):

North Vancouver City Library

Des pas sur terre

Marie-Claude Langevin — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 01:13:01 +0000

Artwork identification

Artwork creator(s):

Forget, Normand

Artwork creator(s):

Forget, Normand

Text author(s):

Forget, Normand

Text author(s):

Forget, Normand

Installation year:

2000

Remarks on location:

On the ground and on the center of the wall

Artwork description

Source: Centre d'Exposition Lanaudière (1998). L’autobus du 1%. Charlemagne: Centre d'Exposition Lanaudière

Description:

A planisphere is cast on the ground at the entrance of the school. This map of Earth is coupled with excerpts from the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. A block of letters is embedded in the wall. At first, it looks like an abstract mosaic but then words reveal themselves in the manner of a crisscross word puzzle.

Mention(s) légale(s) des illustrations:

Photo credits:

Text of the artwork:

On the ground:

LE DROIT.../ AU RESPECT / AU CHAGRIN / À L'ÉGALITÉ / À L'AMOUR / D'ÊTRE DÉFENDU / LE DROIT / À L'ÉDUCATION / DE JOUER / D'ÊTRE NOURRI / D'AVOIR UN NOM / À L'ERREUR

On the wall:

CHIFFONNIER
ARUENIMNTRU
NCIREUREIEE
TRTNERUISIL
OUAEBUECSTL
NENIOEYILUI
NDNURANROA
INEREVLAAJR
EEUAIACNIR
RVRGRLBEDBE
EUOITSEMODF

Text theme:

Rights and freedoms, trades that children still practice in some parts of the world

Artwork theme:

Respect for the child, the evolution of humanity

History

History:

Celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Children's Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Dimensions

Height:

2.13m

Other information

Note(s):

The Earth map was inspired by a map drawn by Buckminster Fuller in 1927. It presents an uninterrupted view of Earth.

The mural is made of stones from different regions of the globe. The ensemble as a whole evokes a crisscross word puzzle. It contains fifteen decipherable words, written in every direction. The words are trades that children still practice today somewhere in the world.

Owner(s):

École primaire Des Grands Chemins

Angles d'incidence

Marie-Claude Langevin — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 21:30:53 +0000

Artwork identification

Artwork creator(s):

Cotton, Claudine

Artwork creator(s):

Cotton, Claudine

Text author(s):

Hopkins, Gerard Manley

Text author(s):

Hopkins, Gerard Manley

Installation year:

1998

Remarks on location:

Ground floor and lobby

Artwork description

Source: MCCCQ (1999). Intégration des arts à l’architecture et à l’environnement. Bilan 1998-1999. Québec: MCCCQ

Source : Photo transmited by Nathalie Villeneuve

Source: MCCCQ (1999). Intégration des arts à l’architecture et à l’environnement. Bilan 1998-1999. Québec: MCCCQ

Source : Photo transmited by Nathalie Villeneuve

Description:

The artwork consists of a sculptural installation with one part located inside the building and another part, outside.

Inside, a large white panel is installed on a black painted wall. It creates a triangle on the wall, as if the wall was being toppled over by the metallic lever installed on the floor.

The outdoor unit, which consists of a triangular metallic sculpture, is installed in continuity with the white panel.

On the ground, the lever consists of a metallic bar; its fulcrum is a bronze arm. On the black face, there are 20 small embossed trumpets and 5 embossed folded arms. On the edge of the white panel, there is a strip of cloth on which an inscription is written. In the window, two metal-framed, quartered glass circles are installed. In the upper one, there are metallic filaments; in the lower one, honey that has crystallized over time. There are also 57 embossed glass mouth shapes scattered all over the window. Lastly, on the ground, there is another glass quartered circle, this one the colour of honey, which extends all the way to the elevator

Mention(s) légale(s) des illustrations:

Photo credits:

Text of the artwork:

LE CERVEAU A SES MONTAGNES, SES FALAISES VERTIGINEUSES QUE NUL N'A JAMAIS TOTALEMENT SONDÉES

Text theme:

Committed thinking as a driving force

Artwork theme:

Enabling knowledge and the energy of committed thinking

The importance of knowing how to enable knowledge and thought processes, as tangible sources of energy

Dimensions

Height:

Width:

Other information

Note(s):

Activated by the lever, in which drops of sweat are enclosed, an imposing section of wall is toppled over and propelled outside.

On the plate:

Angles d'incidence propose la pensée engagée comme essence primordiale au
fonctionnement du lieu et lui accorde des positions stratégiques. Ainsi
cette force agissante, poétisée par la présence de "coudées franches" et de sueur de
penseurs, devient, à l'image d'un levier, capable de soulever les structures et de
les maintenir dans une position d'ouverture.
Cet exercice perpétuel qui invite à la construction et à l'audace, nous engage.

Author's biography:

Gerard Manley Hopkins

Architect(s):

Brassard, André

Document(s):

Intégration des arts à l’architecture et à l’environnement. Bilan 1998-1999

I am still learning

Marie-Claude Langevin — Wed, 26 May 2010 20:49:02 +0000

Artwork identification

Artwork creator(s):

Valentine, Frederick

Artwork creator(s):

Valentine, Frederick

Text author(s):

de Goya, Francisco

Text author(s):

Goya, Francisco

Installation year:

2003

Artwork description

Source: University of Lethbrige (2009). University of Lethbrige. (http://www.uleth.ca/)

Description:

Plate placed at the entrance of the library. The text appears in Latin, Spanish, Blackfoot (First Nation), French and English.

Mention(s) légale(s) des illustrations:

Photo credits:

Text of the artwork:

Disco adhuc

Aun aprendo

Ni taa Ka Kis To Toosi

J'apprends encore

I am still learning

Text theme:

Knowledge

Artwork theme:

Knowledge, education, learning

History

History:

Cindy Yagos, an administrative assistant in the Library, won the cornerstone quotation contest in September 2001.

Dimensions

Other information

Artist's biography:

Frederick Valentine

Author's biography:

Francisco de Goya

Owner(s):

University of Lethbridge

Architect(s):

Frederick Valentine