Collectif Escargo, Sailboats, 2020. Photo MMFA, Denis Farley
Collectif Escargo, Sailboats, 2020. Photo MMFA, Denis Farley
Sailboats
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) presents Sailboats, created by Collectif Escargo on Du Musée Avenue, a pedestrian zone that will welcome visitors and passersby throughout the summer. A relaxation area bordered by the MMFA’s Sculpture Garden, this ephemeral installation echoes the major exhibition Paris in the Days of Post-Impressionism: Signac and the Indépendants, on view until November 15, 2020.
Every year since 2013, the MMFA has called upon a Montreal creator to design an art installation for Du Musée Avenue, a portion of which, north of Sherbrooke Street West, is closed to traffic during the summer months. Following the work of Claude Cormier, Jean Verville Architecte and Provencher_Roy, Collectif Escargo, composed of Julie Parenteau, Karyna St-Pierre and Pierre-Yves Diehl, was mandated to re-enchant this public space in the heart of the Golden Square Mile.
An ephemeral work in homage to Post-Impressionist painters
By juxtaposing touches of colour on the ground, the installation Sailboats evokes the shimmering of the sea, often depicted in the canvases of Paul Signac (1863-1935). The painted space is traversed by a linear garden of flowers chosen for their colourful blossoms. The plant composition sketches dancing reflections and mirrors the painting on the ground. Among the plants are plaques that bear the names and messages of donors to the 2019-2020 annual fundraising campaign of the MMFA Foundation, creating a superimposition of pastel colours in keeping with Post-Impressionist pictorial practice at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century.
Benches allow visitors to relax and enjoy the surroundings while maintaining a safe distance of two metres. The seating provides excellent views of works in the MMFA’s Sculpture Garden, one of the largest public art collections in Montreal.
Collectif Escargo (formed in 2015), Sailboats, 2020, painted plywood planters and benches, acrylic paint on the ground, plants (Argentinian vervain, chives, globe amaranths, salvia farinacea). Photo © Denis Farley
This art installation on Du Musée Avenue is a tribute to the generous donors of the annual fundraising campaign as well as the valued partners and dedicated employees of the MMFA and its Foundation. We express our deep gratitude for their support and commitment, which are more essential than ever in allowing the Museum to pursue its mission.
Danielle Champagne
Collectif Escargo (formed in 2015), Sailboats, 2020, painted plywood planters and benches, acrylic paint on the ground, plants (Argentinian vervain, chives, globe amaranths, salvia farinacea). Photo © Denis Farley
Credits and Acknowledgements
The installation Sailboats was designed by Collectif Escargo at the request of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and produced with the generous support of the Ville de Montréal, Ville-Marie Borough and Denalt Paints. The Museum also thanks CGI and the Max and Iris Stern Estate, partners of the Sculpture Garden.
Collectif Escargo (formed in 2015), Sailboats, 2020, painted plywood planters and benches, acrylic paint on the ground, plants (Argentinian vervain, chives, globe amaranths, salvia farinacea). Photo © Denis Farley
