That’s right, the Gare Centrale is a significant public art venue in Quebec! In addition to its permanent collection of impressive sculptures and the three pieces acquired by Cominar, you can now discover, for a few weeks only, Trajectoires tissées et entrelacées.
REM temporary art program, second edition
This piece is part of the second edition of the temporary art program run by REM and its four partners: UQAM, Concordia University, McGill University and University of Montreal. This year’s edition was launched at the Complexe de la Gare Centrale on August 16, and you won’t be surprised to learn that guests at the ceremony took the REM to get there!
Until October 16, the 2024 edition features three daring, temporary public artworks in REM stations, including Trajectoires tissées et entrelacées. The other two pieces are the installation Éc(h)o: Passage du vivant at Panama station and, at Du Quartier station, Oxygène, a visual and performative project.
The piece Trajectoires tissées et entrelacées was made with pieces of recycled fabric, most of them from children’s blankets, and wrapped in wool. Inspired by the rhizomes that spread out and intersect underground, the piece evokes the social and multicultural bonds of urban travel.
For this piece, artists Linda Côté, Sonia Frangeul and Maria-Claudia Quijano worked in collaboration with the Cercles de Fermières Ahuntsic and Cœur-de-l’île, and organizations Le Milieu and Petites-Mains. A surprising, charming installation that is worth seeing!
The launch ceremony was attended by many art students from one or other of the four Montreal universities part of the REM program. Fifteen of those students worked on these three pieces as part of the inter-university workshop/seminar Magnifier le présent : approches interdisciplinaires pour œuvres d'art public.
Marie-Justine Snider, curator for the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec’s art collections, paid tribute to them: “The students approached this initiative by submitting artistic projects involving performance, installation, video and photography. They rose to the challenge of exploring the possibilities and constraints of public space, while striving to reach out to diverse audiences in an effort to democratize access to contemporary art."
UniR - the name of REM’s public art program - will run from 2023 to 2026, with each annual edition led by one of the four partner universities.
The program aims to forge an unprecedented union between art, four universities and REM users, through the installation of permanent and temporary art pieces at various locations on the network. Boldness and a wide spectrum of inspiration and points of view are encouraged!
REM station: Trajectoires tissées et entrelacées. The installation is hanging from the ceiling.
Food court: murals created by Caitlin McDonagh, with beams of light and undulating ribbons.
Near the Salle des Pas Perdus: Escala by Pauline Loctin. This suspended structure invites us to get in touch with our emotions.
At both ends of the Salle des Pas Perdus: Charles Comfort’s imposing bas-reliefs, sculpted by Sebastiano Aiello. They depict Canadian life and feature a few words from our national anthem.
In several hallways and near entrances: the character Bloom, created by artist Lebicar, in a series of bright and cheerful illustrations.
South, east and west façades: 20 medallions sculpted by Charles Comfort. They depict air, sea and rail transport.
North façade: the 3 large haut reliefs sculpted by Fritz Brandtner. The mythological figures of Mercury, Prometheus and Neptune pay tribute to the heroism of Canadian transport.
Learn more about our other works in the Central Station Complex
895 Rue De la Gauchetière O
Montréal, QC H3B 4G1, Canada