This banner was created in the context of a mediation program put in place and directed by the non-profit organisations Institut pacifique and Paroles d’excluEs; a program that aided citizens from Montreal-North to voice and resolve issues in their community through a process of reconciliation.
Initiated by the cultural mediation of the Maison culturelle et communautaire de Montréal-Nord, the citizens expressed their perception of the process in artwork made with dry pastel. Inspiring myself off their individual creations, I then proposed a collective piece to represent their experiences, which we then completed together via a dialogical artistic approach.
“Fruit of Empathy”, a 5 meters high by 1.5 meter wide vinyl banner, will be installed on the façade of the Maison culturelle et communautaire de Montréal-Nord, at the entrance of the municipal library, during the summer of 2021.
Fruit of Empathy
(top half) 5 x 1.5 m | acrylic paint on vinyl banner | community-fueled public art project
Fruit of Empathy
(close-up) The seed of all change, of all growth is...
Fruit of Empathy
(close-up) They may be below the ground, but our roots run deep and their strength cannot be ignored.
Fruit of Empathy
(close up) The sky is the limit, but communication is crucial.
Fruit of Empathy
(close-up) Building blocks to success. Breaking down the root of our problems into smaller pieces, so we may resolve them - together!
Fruit of Empathy
(close-up) A citizen decided to add ginko leaves to one of the pieces. And she thought I would just paint over it. I did! But only to emphasize her ginko leaves! Individuality matters equally as much as collectivism in the process of defining issues and finding solutions. Lest we forget, our unique creativity and self-expression is a key part of the process! And the ginko leaf is a perfect representation of just that! It symbolizes many diverse and unique religious and cultural values going back to ancient times. It has been used as a symbol of peace, hope and vitality and also as a symbol of love and duality. Thank you for putting yourself out there! I hope your mark inspires others to do the same!
Fruit of Empathy
(close-up) We were here.
Fruit of Empathy
(after the first round) After making an outline and prepping custom colors, the citizens painted the first coat from bottom to top. As the process was taking place, the banner was exhibited at the Maison culturelle et communautaire de Montréal-Nord, along with their stories during the month of June 2021.
Fruit of Empathy
(work in progress) The citizens trying to follow my colour map, and realizing I left some choices at their discretion, because - where is the fun in having a one-way creative dialogue?
Fruit de l'empathie
(travail en cours) Des citoyen.nes qui s'appliquent.
Fruit of Empathy
Converting a 30 cm proposal to a 5 meter vinyl banner. The community citizens who voted for this design and felt heard wouldn’t want me to make an out of whack, unbalanced reproduction of the initial and intended artwork. So, lots of careful math was needed on my first day at work.
Fruit of Empathy
Outlining, then cutting out the motifs that need to be drawn exactly to size with a marker on the vinyl banner to indicate where the citizens must paint. No second tries or erasing possible either, since the marker lines will be visible through the very translucent paint thereafter. Precision is crucial from the get-go.
Ruby Slippers
2 x 22 meters mural painted on a fence in a “green alley” in Montreal-North (entrance on Des Ardennes street) in collaboration with COOP solidaité ECONORD, Soverdi and the Montreal-North borough.
