Nadia Myre unveils a new public artwork in Outremont
Nadia Myre speaking at the launch of her new public sculpture, Renouée.
Artist Nadia Myre, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Arts Practice and Assistant Professor in the Department of Studio Arts, unveiled Renouée, her latest public sculpture in Montreal, on June 15.
Located at the intersection of Laurier Street West, in Outremont, the eight-metre-high work is a reminder of Côte-Sainte-Catherine’s long history as a natural pathway used by Indigenous peoples to reach Mount Royal.
Born in Montreal, Myre is a member of the Algonquin Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg Nation. In her work, she revisits the official history of Indigenous peoples as well as their political and social struggles. With Renoué, she wanted to pay tribute to the to the cohabitation of cultures in the city.
"The bronze work takes the form of a net, a tool used by many cultures for fishing, hunting and transportation. I sought to evoke the social fabric, where each knot represents the association between individuals in a community. The vegetation around the sculpture is made up of Indigenous plants and contribute to the maintenance of a healthy biodiversity,” says Myre.
'A reflection on mutual aid, openness and justice'
Renouée, funded by the Government of Quebec and the City of Montreal, is the third public art project that Myre has undertaken with the city.
"I am pleased to inaugurate, at the foot of Mount Royal, the work of a talented Indigenous artist, created as part of a public art competition open to all professional artists in Quebec,” says Erika Alneus, responsible for culture and heritage on the city’s executive committee.
"This magnificent work that reminds us that the history of Montreal is also the history of the First Nations, which has been obscured for too long,” says Émile Kutlu, President of the Société de développement commercial Laurier Ouest.
“We hope that, as you pass through this busy intersection, the view of the crossroads, the sight of this imposing work of great symbolic force will lead to a reflection on mutual aid, openness and justice," adds Kutlu.