The Mexican artist Sebastián studied at the National School of Visual Arts in Mexico City. Today, he is a researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and a member of the World Arts Forum Council based in Geneva. Since 1968, he has had more than 120 solo exhibitions in Mexico and elsewhere in the world. He has also produced numerous public art projects, including El Limonero, Árbol de la vida (2004) in the Tecoman Valley and Arcos del milenio (2001) in the Jardines del Bosque in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Artwork description
The artwork is situated in Parc Jean-Drapeau, on St. Helen’s Island. The two openings that it creates enable viewers to contemplate downtown Montréal from one side and Parc Jean-Drapeau from the other.
The sculpture, made of red-painted steel, is composed of three columns linked by a diagonal element, offering a repetition of shapes from the principle of a deconstructed geometric form. The positioning of the columns follows a mathematical rhythm based on the number 7. The artwork presents elements of classical architecture and forms with a historical connotation (colonnade, coping). The vertical elements form two gateways that symbolize trade, universal access, circulation of ideas, and openness.