Inspired by the transformation of the Bonaventure Expressway at the Downtown Gateway, Énergir urban heating and cooling called upon MU to produce an artistic project showcasing its building and revealing its history, its nature and its function as a legacy to Montrealers.

Entitled Strates, the mural created by artist Ilana Pichon complements the Bonaventure Park public art corridor and enhances the new face of the neighborhood. The work evokes the three underground networks of the plant, namely the steam, hot water and cold water networks, and also reflects the evolution of this metamorphosed district over time, where Énergir CCU has been implemented since 1947. The three graphic forms that wrap and unify the facades of the building contain representations of underground strata and patterns illustrating the intricacies of colorful pipes and machinery found inside the building.

Ilana Pichon, the artist chosen for this mural, has a degree in architecture and visual arts. Her practice includes silk screen, mural, installation and artist’s book. Her work questions the way we look at space and the markers that structure it through an architectural and territorial sensibility. Intimately linked to location and its components her approach ties in with the various territorial levels to produce an in situ network of reference points.

Ilana Pichon est une artiste pluridisciplinaire canadienne d’origine franco-suisse. Basée à Québec, elle est formée en architecture et en arts visuels. Son travail questionne le regard que l’on porte sur l’espace et les balises qui le structurent au travers d’une sensibilité architecturale et territoriale. Boursière du CALQ à trois reprises, elle réalise régulièrement des résidences de création au Canada en arts imprimés et en installation in situ. Sa pratique inclut également l’art mural grand format et son travail a été présenté à de nombreuses reprises en solo ou en collectif au Québec et au Canada. Ses livres d’artistes se retrouvent dans la collection patrimoniale de la Bibliothèque des Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ) et ses oeuvres font partie de collections privées en Europe et en Amérique du Nord. Ilana a réalisé sa première murale avec MU en 2015.

Ilana Pichon is a visual artist from Quebec City, Canada, born and raised in Switzerland. She graduated with a Master of Architecture from Laval University (Qc) in 2010. She has been awarded multiple grants from the Conseil des Arts et des Lettres du Québec for printmaking projects (2014, 2016, 2018) and recently received grants supporting video and artist books residencies by Québec City artist centres. Pichon’s practice is rhythmed by residencies and artworks are strongly influenced by in situ experiences, evident in both her silkscreen printing and large-scale murals. Her murals are located across Canada and her work has been shown solo in Winnipeg, Trois-Rivières and Quebec in 2019. Pichon’s artworks are part of Global Affairs Canada’s collection, Bibliothèque des Archives nationales du Québec’s heritage collection of artist books and Stewart Hall Gallery.

Her approach is based on the observation and dissection of space. Intimately linked to location, it ties in with the various territorial levels to produce an in situ network of reference points. Her practice challenges notions of provenance, structuring elements, material and emotional baggage, as well as graphical and physical rhythms.

She created her first large-scale mural with MU in 2015.