JES

Marie-Claude Langevin — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 14:05:43 +0000

Artwork identification

Artwork creator(s):

Gerdes, Ludger

Artwork creator(s):

Gerdes, Ludger

Text author(s):

Gerdes, Ludger

Text author(s):

Gerdes, Ludger

Installation year:

1996

Artwork description

Source: CIAC (2005) Promenade, l'art dans la ville. (http://www.ciac.ca/en/promenade-lart-dans-la-ville)

Description:

The work consists of three large illuminated letters. JES is a play on language: the letter "s" has been added to the pronoun "je" ("I").

Mention(s) légale(s) des illustrations:

Photo credits:

Text of the artwork:

ICHS

Artwork theme:

Expresses the subjectivity of the plural form, encountering persons from the view point of their individuality.

History

History:

Ludger Gerdes' work, JES, is the French adaptation of ICHS, a project presented in 1989 at the Haus Esters Museum in Krefeld. First seen as part of the One Hundred Days of Contemporary Art in Montreal in 1991, JES is finally shown for the first time in the context for which it was originally intended, i.e. an outdoor public space.

Event: Promenades – L’art dans la ville

Event date(s):

1996

Dimensions

Other information

Note(s):

For the artist, it is important that art be seen outside of museums, in urban and natural settings, to really disturb perception habits and reach people in their familiar environment.

Document(s):

JES

«Cent Jours» retrouvent leurs atouts. Et Claude Gosselin joue la carte de l'Art dans l'espace public...

Comme un poisson dans la ville

Marie-Claude Langevin — Mon, 19 May 2008 16:04:11 +0000

Artwork identification

Artwork creator(s):

Boyer, Gilbert

Artwork creator(s):

Boyer, Gilbert

Text author(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

Artwork description

Source: Photo provided by Gilbert Boyer

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.

Mention(s) légale(s) des illustrations:

Photo credits:

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

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

Other information

Owner(s):

Gilbert Boyer

Document(s):

Promenades les arts dans la ville.

Présences du littéraire dans l’espace public canadien - Promenades – L’art dans la ville

JES

Comme un poisson dans la ville

Around the corner from Des Seigneurs Street and the Notre-Dame Street East (Little Burgundy):

Corner of Saint-Hubert and Cherrier Streets:

Corner of 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:

Formerly located around the corner from Laurier Avenue and Jeanne-Mance Street:

On Hutchison Avenue, North of Prince-Arthur Street:

Corner of Duluth and Saint-Urbain Streets:

Formerly at the corner of Richardson and Shearer Streets: