{"id":4159,"date":"2018-06-13T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-06-13T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/devimco.com\/rene-derouin-create-21-storey-art-work\/"},"modified":"2021-08-11T10:56:22","modified_gmt":"2021-08-11T15:56:22","slug":"rene-derouin-create-21-storey-art-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/devimco.com\/en\/rene-derouin-create-21-storey-art-work\/","title":{"rendered":"REN\u00c9 DEROUIN TO CREATE 21-STOREY WORK FOR DEVIMCO IMMOBILIER\u2019S MARYROBERT PROJECT"},"content":{"rendered":"

REN\u00c9 DEROUIN TO CREATE 21-STOREY WORK FOR DEVIMCO IMMOBILIER\u2019S MARYROBERT PROJECT<\/strong><\/p>\n

Four artists invited to submit a design for a 62-metre-high work in Griffintown<\/em><\/p>\n

Montreal, May 31, 2018 \u2014<\/strong>Devimco Immobilier,<\/a> along with its partner, the Fonds immobilier de solidarit\u00e9 FTQ and Southwest borough mayor Beno\u00eet Dorais, today announced the name of the winning artist who will create a 21-storey work of art for the MaryRobert Condominiums<\/u>, its mixed-use project in District Griffin\u2122<\/sup><\/a>, at the southeast corner Peel and Wellington. Ren\u00e9 Derouin, a well-known Quebec visual artist whose career spans more than 50 years, was chosen to create this iconic landmark for the entrance to the city and its urban landscape. The initiative to integrate an artwork of this size is a first for a real estate development project in Quebec.<\/p>\n

Ren\u00e9 Derouin is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist who has been honoured with the Prix Paul-\u00c9mile-Borduas and the Ordre des arts et des lettres du Qu\u00e9bec, as well as being named Artist for Peace in 2017.<\/p>\n

In March, Devimco Immobilier invited four acclaimed Quebec artists<\/a>\u2014Nicolas Baier, Ren\u00e9 Derouin, Doyon-Rivest and Pascale Girardin\u2014to submit a proposal for a work of art to be integrated into the four facades of the two towers of its signature project. The proposed work also had to blend harmoniously with the neighbourhood.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe MaryRobert will become a new icon in Montreal\u2019s landscape. It was important to consider the people who will pass through the area, those who will see this monument in the urban landscape, as well as those who will live in the project. This initiative goes far beyond real estate development. It\u2019s a creative gesture and a legacy that Devimco wants to bequeath to Montreal and to the borough,\u201d said Devimco\u2019s president, Serge Goulet.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor 10 years now, we have been playing a role in the sweeping transformation of Griffintown, with boldness and determination. Integrating a work of this scale, one that is imbued with meaning, into the MaryRobert is a real driver of democratization. Through his work, Mr. Derouin takes a penetrating look at modern society, which I applaud,\u201d added Carole Handfield, vice-president, Investissements du Fonds immobilier de solidarit\u00e9 FTQ.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a real estate and architectural developer, we have a huge social responsibility in our work. For the MaryRobert, we couldn\u2019t just impose a work on our purchasers and on Montrealers,\u201d explained Patrick Blanchette, architect at Devimco Immobilier.<\/p>\n

Ren\u00e9 Derouin and the \u201cUN PHARE SUR LE FLEUVE\u201d project<\/strong><\/p>\n

Titled \u201cUn phare sur le fleuve,\u201d the proposed work is inspired by the river, the founding nations, the territory, migration and nordicity. Mr. Derouin depicts the wealth and diversity of Montreal by incorporating the city\u2019s coat of arms as flowers with their roots entwined.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a unique opportunity for an artist to create a major work as a memory and a legacy for Montreal. In my studio, I thought about this project from every angle: it became an obsession for me. The question of private and public space prevailed in the design of the work. It\u2019s a major creation for the urban environment, and its monumental scale is unusual for public art in Quebec,\u201d said Mr. Derouin.<\/p>\n

\u201cMontreal is built on an island in a nordic territory rich in historical memories. The territory shapes our identity: you just have to spend a winter in Montreal to discover that nordicity is our common bond, our commingling. My work was influenced by the fact that we are a nordic people,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Videos and models:<\/strong><\/p>\n