Photo credits: Marc Dulude
L’arbre des possibles [The Tree of Possibilities]
Material :
Bronze
Dimensions :
Variable
Medium :
Sculpture
Context :
Public artwork set up at La Mosaïque School in Montreal.
The first sculpture of this diptych shows five birds working together on the same task. Symbolically, the number of volatiles refers to the five continents. Note that the birds represented are black-capped chickadees, a gregarious species which, by definition, lives in groups. Very common throughout the province, they are also a reminder of how our society has been able to unfold its collective potential and adapt to the harsh climate by its will, curiosity, and resourcefulness.
The second sculpture, a life-size, yellow birch made of bronze, stands in the center of the inner courtyard. Here, Quebec’s emblematic tree has a particular branch, whose complex shape is reminiscent of a bird’s nest. Is it the work of chickadees? Is it rather a natural outgrowth, formed over time and the result of the plant’s growth? This mysterious phenomenon can give rise to many questions and various interpretations; however, its main purpose is to feed the imagination.
The work being erected near a library, it is relevant to point out that the artist cites the writer Bernard Weber as an important source of inspiration, particularly his collection L’Arbre des possibles et autres Histoires (2002) and the interactive project of the same name, aimed at tracing the possible futures of humanity. Beyond this literary reference, the motif of the tree itself conceals a powerful symbolism and evokes, among other things, rootedness and self-transcendence, the cyclical nature of growth and life, genealogy, and the transfer of knowledge.
The second sculpture, a life-size, yellow birch made of bronze, stands in the center of the inner courtyard. Here, Quebec’s emblematic tree has a particular branch, whose complex shape is reminiscent of a bird’s nest. Is it the work of chickadees? Is it rather a natural outgrowth, formed over time and the result of the plant’s growth? This mysterious phenomenon can give rise to many questions and various interpretations; however, its main purpose is to feed the imagination.
The work being erected near a library, it is relevant to point out that the artist cites the writer Bernard Weber as an important source of inspiration, particularly his collection L’Arbre des possibles et autres Histoires (2002) and the interactive project of the same name, aimed at tracing the possible futures of humanity. Beyond this literary reference, the motif of the tree itself conceals a powerful symbolism and evokes, among other things, rootedness and self-transcendence, the cyclical nature of growth and life, genealogy, and the transfer of knowledge.
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