Quebec City will ultimately inherit the future Riopelle museum, orchestrated by the Foundation of the same name. Espace Riopelle will be housed in a new, custom-built pavilion at the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (MNBAQ). The MBNAQ will thus inherit a donation of works unparalleled in the history of Quebec philanthropy, and even Canadian, of some sixty Riopelles, worth at least $ 120 million.
After being abandoned by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, after eyeing a possible installation in the heritage Library Saint-Sulpice in the metropolis, the future Espace Riopelle will be built in Quebec. Prime Minister François Legault and Minister of Culture Nathalie Roy announced an investment of $ 20 million for the realization of the project during a press conference at the MNBAQ on Thursday morning.
The heart of this future museum, which will remain after the celebrations in 2023 of the centenary of the Automatist painter Jean-Paul Riopelle, will be built around the major gift collectively made by collectors Michael J. Audain, André Desmarais, France Chrétien Desmarais, Pierre Lassonde and Yseult Riopelle.
There will be a Bestiary (1989), Weathervanes madness – night – day (1984), a Parade from 1950 and a Iceberg number III 1971, among others. The businessman and collector Pierre Lassonde will leave all his Riopelles, “except three, one for each of my children. His first painting by the artist was acquired in the 1980s.
Give back these eternal works
“These works of art in the end, we never own them when we collect, he confided to the To have to. You are only temporary guardian, for one, five or 20 years, because they are eternal works. Giving them back, so that the general public can enjoy them as much as I enjoyed seeing them when they were at home, is the right thing to do. “
The total number of works by Riopelle that will be bequeathed is still under discussion, but we already know that there will be more than 60, worth at least $ 120 million. In addition, these philanthropists are doubling the Legault government’s stake by adding $ 20 million for the construction of the new pavilion. A call for projects to international architects will also be launched soon, to find the prime contractor for this new pavilion, the cost of which is estimated at 42.1 million dollars, according to what has been learned. The duty.
The MNBAQ Foundation will complete the budget, offering $ 2.5 million for the enhancement of the flagship work of the Riopelle collection of the Museum, Homage to Rosa Luxemburg (1992).
Further details will follow.