Artwork description
The work Entrelacs is situated in Parc de l’Ukraine, redeveloped by the borough in 2018 to integrate various visual elements testifying to the strong presence of the Ukrainian community in this neighbourhood.
Resulting from a collaboration with the members of the Montréal Ukrainian community, the sculpture by Giorgia Volpe celebrates the community’s cultural traditions. The work is composed of interlaced ribbons deployed in a three-dimensional open weave. The shape of the sculpture is inspired by a pysanka (from the verb pysaty, “to write”), a gift represented by an egg painted with numerous symbols and signs. Ukrainians continue to practise this ancient tradition in a perpetual cycle of transmission from generation to generation. The motifs on the egg’s ribbons refer to oak leaves; they were chosen by the members of the Montréal Ukrainian community to represent patience, strength, and longevity. The work evokes the notion of identity and, through its symbols, invites a gathering of Ukrainian culture in Montréal.