The sculptor Claude Millette superimposed seven cubes to evoke Marguerite Bourgeoys’ seven crossings of the North Atlantic between France and New France in the 17th century.e century. He added a school bench to pay tribute to the first teacher in this corner of the world. There is also a bishop’s miter, symbolizing the strong faith of the colonizers, well inscribed in the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours chapel, the jewel of Old Montreal.
His triptych opens the group exhibition called two five zero, 1 chapel – 15 artistsmounted to celebrate the 250e anniversary of this place of worship. The exhibition officially opens on Thursday.
“The chapel has always been painted and photographed by artists. We therefore decided to reproduce the experience by asking contemporary artists to let themselves be moved and inspired by the chapel and to offer us works,” explains Jean-François Royal, general director of the Marguerite-Bourgeoys historic site, who directed this gift from self to self.
The first 14 artists contacted all quickly said yes. They all also donated their original creations to the heritage site, which will put them up for auction in December. A catalog accompanies the group artistic shooting, with web links to present each of the participants and their approach. Their selection was made according to the art form practiced, with a concern for regional diversity.
The famous brass ex-votos of the place of worship have inspired several creators. Marianne Chevalier produced five colorful collages superimposing screen prints. Normand Rajotte photographed the votive hearts, which “evoke a centuries-old devotion and a human attempt at communication”. Kathy Ouellette reproduced them in her white ceramic necklaces.
Fiber Power Installation Dessert No. 2, perhaps the most iconoclastic of the proposals, is organized around mixed textile constructions with recovered electrical wires, PVC tubes and Styrofoam inspired by the church monstrance. The ritual of Christianity is theophagous…
The religious building itself is also at the center of several creations. Myriam Van Neste offers a colorful and joyful version with her digital illustration (a version will be drawn among visitors). Robert Roy imagines Christmas in the sacred precinct with its nostalgic oil where carriages pass.
Marc Lépine, member of the Urban Sketchers of Montreal, passionate about architecture and urban planning, drew the statue of the angel with the trumpet and the facade. Photographer Richard Purdy chose to be inspired by oil Behind the Bonsecours Market, Montreal painted in 1866 by William Raphael. He hangs a photo of this work and a 2013 photo of the site showing the same angle of view. The diptych is standardized by a glaze on canvas.
The first chapel
The iconic chapel of Old Montreal was born from the desire of Marguerite Bourgeoys (1620-1700), Ville-Marie’s first teacher. The founder of the Congregation of Notre-Dame inaugurated the chapel in 1678, designed as a place of Marian pilgrimage. This first construction was destroyed by fire less than a century later (in 1754) at the same time as a significant part of the Faubourg Bonsecours, then rebuilt between 1771 and 1773.
The 250e anniversary, celebrated even in the title of the exhibition, refers to this date of the second inauguration. The anniversary was also an opportunity to digitize the entire building. “We have details down to the millimeter,” explains Director Royal. “After the destruction of Notre-Dame de Paris, we realized that we did not have very complete and very precise plans of the chapel. We have them now. »
The current colossal facade of the church dates from the end of the 19th century.e century. The works of Ozias Leduc decorating its interior were created before the First World War. Two masses per week are still celebrated there in both official languages for a community of a few dozen faithful.
The heritage site classified by Quebec is visited by some 300,000 people each year. The visit to the small exhibition located in the basement of the complex begins and ends in the shop, where visitors are asked to attach colored ribbons to a mesh wall, each corresponding to the emotion felt when viewing the exhibition. A way to create a fifteenth tribute piece as a group.