Our artists (and artisans) have talent
Beyond street furniture, m3béton is proud to collaborate with artists on an ad hoc basis in order to create works with our beautiful material, Ductal. Before talking in detail about the artists and the achievements, it is essential to recall why we do this and the challenges that this brings.
Art is an essential lever for our personal and community development. It can be very subjective and will be perceived differently by each individual. The role of institutions today is to promote access to art, which is why public and urban art is an excellent way to combine free and simple access to cultural development. It allows us to find ourselves, to engage, and to gather.
We particularly like working on artistic projects, because we contribute to the influence of the city and of an artist, while challenging our team and improving our techniques.
The design of the work and its details are of course done by the artist. Sometimes we have to make the mold to pour the concrete, adding complexity to our work. However, this is a work of precision and patience, hand in hand with the artist. It is important to always leave room for maneuver, because with this type of 'heavy' material it can be difficult to achieve 100% of the desired result. You have to adapt to the material and not the other way around.
Let's talk now, via a non-exhaustive list, of some of our achievements and their artists.
The Arc, by Michel de Broin (2009), located at Parc Jean Drapeau - Île Notre Dame, 305x370x125
This work, as surreal as it is realistic, represents a curved tree, all in Ductal concrete (what a technical feat!). According to the artist, this achievement evokes the importance of cultural transmission and heritage, due to the power of the roots of the tree. This is a tribute to former Chilean President Salvador Allende.
Graphic, by Shelley Miller (2020), located at CÉGEP du Vieux Montréal, 78” x 78”
The many colors of this work perfectly represent the malleability of Ductal and its beautiful colored finishes. The artist Shelley Miller wanted to represent the thirty-three neighborhoods of Montreal during the first fifty days of the pandemic, from April 1, 2020. Using data from Santé Montreal, each box represents the population density in the districts, listed in alphabetical order. This achievement shows that outlying neighborhoods and islands have found themselves more inhabited than usual during the pandemic, with a desire to get closer to nature and wide open spaces.
The Flow between Hard Places, by Caroline Monnet (2019), located at the Toronto Biennial of Art
This creation in raw and meticulously sculpted Ductal concrete represents a tribute to the Algonquian native language. The ripples represent the sound waves of the word 'pasapkedjinawong', meaning 'the river that passes between the rocks', in Anishinaabemowin. It is currently exhibited at the Toronto Biennal of Art.
Entrelacs, by Giorgia Volpe (2022), located at Parc de l’Ukraine
This pure white work of Ductal concrete lace pays homage to the Ukrainian community of Montreal. The shape is inspired by a Pysanka, a traditional Easter egg, represented with the intertwining of ribbons in the manner of weaving, with traditional motifs in low relief. According to the artist, “its dynamic and open form projects us into a continuous movement of intertwining and crossing which allows us to unite the past with the present”.
We have many other achievements to present to you, but we advise you to go and appreciate them for yourself, all the addresses in this article (here)!