Devimco Immobilier announces competition for 21-storey public artwork for MaryRobert development
Four Quebec artists compete to create a monumental print on architectural glass for Montreal’s Griffintown neighbourhood
MONTREAL, March 21, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ – Devimco Immobilier is pleased to launch an invitation-only competition to commission a public artwork for the 21-storey mixed-use MaryRobert development in the new District Griffin.™Renowned artists Nicolas Baier, René Derouin, Pascale Girardin, and the Doyon-Rivest collective have been invited to submit an art project for integration in the development’s architectural concept. A handpicked jury of architecture, real estate, and design experts will select the winning proposal. The winner will be announced in late May 2018, and the MaryRobert grand opening is slated for 2020.
Selected artists have been asked to create an artwork inspired by the story of the founding nations. The work must be horizontal, 62 m in height, and printed on the four interior faces of the MaryRobert’s two towers. Printed glass is the medium. Located at the iconic intersection of Peel and Wellington, the illuminated artwork will be an eye-catching landmark, day and night.
“The MaryRobert marks the entrance to the city and fits harmoniously into the surrounding neighbourhood,” noted Patrick Blanchette, an architect with Devimco Immobilier. “The development is the endpoint of the historically important path linking Mount Royal and the Lachine Canal. The conceptual approach is designed to reflect the Montreal landscape, where mountain and downtown live together. This signature project will pay tribute to the cityscape and its neighbourhood.”
“I’m honoured to be a part of Devimco’s initiative. It’s always inspiring to see the business community support Montreal’sculture and give Quebec artists the means to create high-impact work. This model is a great example of the shared desire to promote urban development in harmony with the community,” said Marco Fontaine, president of Premius Conseil and special advisor for the MaryRobert project.
“As a property developer, we take great pride in supporting Quebec artists and developing a culture of architectural excellence in the province,” added Serge Goulet, president of Devimco Immobilier. “The MaryRobert will be the architectural showpiece of District Griffin™ and an important legacy for Montreal. This initiative is a prime example of Devimco’s pride in having revitalized a large part of the Griffintown neighbourhood and our desire to create exceptional communities.”
THE STORY BEHIND THE MARYROBERT
The MaryRobert is named after Mary Griffin, the pioneering businesswoman who in 1804 kicked off development of the lands of the Nazareth Fief and lent her name to the new neighbourhood that grew up there. It is also named for Mary’s husband, Robert Griffin, who in the early 19th century owned the area’s only house and a soap factory on what is now Rue Wellington. The couple left a lasting legacy on their neighbourhood as both planners and residents.
THE JURY
- Patrick Blanchette, Architect, Devimco Immobilier
- Alexandre Blazys, Designer, Managing Partner, Blazys + Gerard
- Marco Fontaine, President, Premius Conseil
- Joanne Godin, Architect, Associate, Design Director, Lemay
- Sylvie Lacerte, PhD, Art Historian, Independent Curator, Public Art Consultant, and Director of Symposium international d’art contemporain de Baie-Saint-Paul
- Marie Saint Pierre, Founding President, Maison Marie Saint Pierre
- Alexandre Taillefer, President, XPND
TOP FLIGHT ARTISTS
René Derouin is a Montreal multidisciplinary artist whose work has garnered acclaim in Quebec, Canada, and internationally. He has been particularly active in Mexico, where he has received top honours from the Mexican government, and has exhibited in France, the United States, Venezuela, Australia, and Japan. René Derouin’s work is in many prestigious national and international collections including Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, Bibliothèque nationale de France, and the National Gallery of Canada. He has won the Prix du Québec Paul-Émile Borduas award and is a member of Ordre National du Québec and the Order of Canada.
Montreal photographer, sculptor, and painter Nicolas Baier was named one of Quebec’s ten most important contemporary artists in 2014. He has produced some fifteen works of public art for public institutions including Concordia University, McGill University Health Centre, Pointe-à-Callière archeological museum, and Place Ville-Marie. Nicolas Baier’s work is often inspired by new technology and leading-edge scientific research.
Doyon-Rivest is an art duo formed in Quebec City in 2000. Mathieu Doyon and Simon Rivest have shown individually and collectively in Canada and internationally at institutions including Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec (Quebec City), the International Photography Biennial in Amsterdam, and the Toronto Contact Festival. Not constrained to a single medium, they work in photography, video, installation, sculpture, and public art. Their work La vie en montagne was selected for the façade of the new Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal.
Pascale Girardin is a Montreal ceramist, visual artist, and designer. Her creations include art objects, installations, and artworks integrated into architecture, and she has garnered numerous awards and grants (Prix Pierre-Pagé, Prix François-Houdé awards, Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec, and the Canada Council for the Arts). Of particular note are her architectural works for luxury hotels and restaurants worldwide. Pascale Girardin’s international contracts include work for Arthur Quentin, La maison Simons, Nobu (New York), Hôtel Le Germain (Montreal), The Four Seasons (Toronto), Printemps (Paris), and more.
About Devimco Immobilier
Devimco Immobilier is a Quebec real estate development leader that stands out for the creation and execution of large real estate projects, in particular lifestyle and TOD (transit-oriented development) complexes that combine commercial, business, leisure, and housing components. The company’s real estate projects are noteworthy for producing unique living environments that take the needs of the people in the community into account. Devimco Immobilier was the first real estate company in the country to develop a lifestyle complex, with Quartier DIX30TM.
Since 2005 Devimco Immobilier has been developing District Griffin™, a vibrant area where a genuine community is taking root. Other projects include SOLAR UNIQUARTIER, the largest transit-oriented development (TOD) project in Quebec, a $1.3 billion development that will become a South Shore hub at the northwest intersection of highways 30 and 10. Devimco Immobilier is also building Square Children’s, a new flagship project revitalizing the former site of the Montreal Children’s Hospital and the entire neighbourhood. Devimco was selected by the City of Longueuil for a $500 million mixed-use project above the Longueuil–Université-de Sherbrooke Metro station.
www.devimco.com
SOURCE Devimco Immobilier
For further information: Viviane Ross, 514-827-4250, vross@national.ca
