The National Bank has not chosen any Quebec artist for its new head office

No Quebec work appears among the six that the National Bank commissioned to decorate its new head office in Montreal.

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This situation is surprising given the deep Quebec roots of this institution founded in 1859.

Located at the corner of Saint-Jacques Street and Robert-Bourassa Boulevard, the new 40-story tower is the most prestigious head office to have seen the light of day in Quebec in many years.

The works selected by the National Bank selection committee were created by six Canadian women. The one with the most ties to Quebec is Fabienne Lasserre, who was born in Ottawa and raised in Montreal. She now lives in New York.

“Surprise”

During a telephone interview, Jo-Ann Kane, curator of the National Bank Collection and member of the competition selection committee, said she was “surprised” by the questions from the Newspaper on the absence of Quebec artists.

According to her, it would not have been appropriate to require that at least one of the selected artists be from Quebec. On the other hand, all the artists selected had to be Canadian. They also had to have exhibited at least once in a recognized museum or art center.

“It is not just the place of residence that counts, but the artistic merit of a work,” argued M^me Kane.

“Five of these six artists not only lived in Quebec, but also studied in Quebec, and the works were for the most part produced and installed by Quebec teams,” she continued.

Jo-Ann Kane assured that the National Bank invited artists “from all horizons”, including from Quebec, to participate in the competition.

“What do you want us to do?”

David Farsi, president of the Regroupement des artistes en arts nationaux du Québec, would have preferred that the National Bank choose at least one local artist, but he remains cautious.

“It would be good if these companies bought Quebecois, as they say. That would really be a great respect, but what do you want us to do?” Mr. Farsi dropped.

“We cannot alienate these large companies who, eventually, buy a little bit of Quebec works,” he added.

CIBC chooses Ontarians

The National Bank’s way of doing things contrasts sharply with that of CIBC, which inaugurated its new head office in Toronto in 2021. In this building 50% owned by Ivanhoé Cambridge, a subsidiary of the Caisse de dépôt, we find for currently four works: three created by Toronto artists and one by Quebecer Nicolas Baier.

The former head office of the National Bank, rue de la Gauchetière, housed several works by Quebec artists, including the sculpture Wave by Patrick Coutu.

This will be transferred to the second floor of the new tower. M^me Kane assured that this decision was not taken to compensate for the fact that no Quebec artist was selected for the competition.

Nearly 7,000 Quebec works

The curator pointed out that the bank’s private collection – one of the largest in the country – includes nearly 7,000 works, two-thirds of which are the work of Quebec artists. Several of these works will adorn the different floors of the new head office.

“In fact, works from our collection are exhibited across Canada,” explained Jo-Ann Kane. “We have offices in Toronto, in Vancouver, everywhere… And it is Quebec works that are presented in these spaces.”

According to André Courchesne, associate professor at the Chair of Arts Management at HEC Montréal, the National Bank did well not to limit itself to Quebec.

“The more constraints we put on ourselves, the less space we give to aesthetically exceptional works,” he said. “I think they valued the fact that they were Canadian artists and that it fit well with the architecture of their new headquarters.”

Members of the selection committee for the works of the new head office of the National Bank

• Sophie Beaudoinco-president of CCxA landscape architects
• Lesley Johnstoneformer director, exhibitions and research, Museum of Contemporary Art of Montreal
• Jo Ann Kanecurator, National Bank Collection
• Julie Morinpartner, Menkès Shooner Dagenais Letourneux architects
• Naomi PotterCurator, Esker Foundation, Calgary