Myriam Dion holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in visual and media arts from the Université du Québec à Montréal (2014). The main technique in her practice is a delicate manual process of cutting out, usually performed on paper. Dexterity, expertise, motifs, and repetition characterize her highly detailed work, which bears a resemblance to lace and old-fashioned ornamentation. Her works are included in the collections of Loto-Québec, the TD Bank, and the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec. She was the recipient of the 25th edition of the Prix Pierre-Ayot (2021).
Artwork description
Forming a landmark in the urban landscape, Fontaines is a monumental artwork composed of three openwork aluminum sculptures. Each rises on one of the three stretches of median on rue Saint-Grégoire facing avenue Christophe-Colomb. The work draws attention to the north entrance to Parc Sir-Wilfrid-Laurier, offering a point of convergence for pedestrian, bicycle, and car traffic and a space with a symbolic sense of freshness for Montréal residents.
Fontaines is a tribute to water as an essential and attractive element for the community. The stylized fountain shapes evoke a wellspring – its fundamental role, ingenuity, and unifying power.
To produce the sculptural forms, Dion took inspiration from the aesthetic languages of Art Deco and Bauhaus to create the linearity and geometric approach of the forms. The stylized design was then reproduced on eight panels assembled on a central point, creating the sculptures’ three-dimensionality.
The lacy motif of the openwork aluminum panels transposes the detailed gestures and repetitive motifs found in Dion’s works with paper. By letting light through, she evokes the subtle variations of trickling drops, the movement of water, and the constant rhythm of cascading liquid, all suggesting the relaxing effect of a fountain.