“Les constellations de l’hippocampe” is based on the idea of embodying and representing memory as a process of social transformation. The work is inspired by the workings of memory, while its form evokes the function of the museum as an organ contributing to a wider circuit of memory, connected to the city, its territory and the people who inhabit it.

To awaken their memories, Raphaëlle de Groot asked citizens to describe their sensory experiences of the city: “What does Montreal taste like? What does Montreal smell like? Based on the responses (traces and testimonials) obtained during spontaneous encounters and organized workshops, the artist imagined, with her network of collaborators, a sculptural installation composed of two ensembles with celestial names. The “milky ribbon” is an assemblage of 665 “memory keys”: created through citizen interaction, these keys are made up of fragments of road signs and aluminum and brass plates perforated with pictograms. These constellations are complemented by seven bronze “nebulae” created by the artist using pieces of collective wax. The work as a whole represents different experiences of the city, and is the result of a major mobilization from conception to completion.

Reflecting the museum’s values, it embodies openness, commitment, inclusion, accessibility, dialogue and innovation. In all, more than 350 people took part in this experience, including community organizations, schools and an early childhood center.