The city of Montreal recently unveiled Magnetic Art in honour of Jean Paul Riopelle, to celebrate the late local artist’s 100th birthday. Photo courtesy MU
The city of Montreal recently unveiled a new mural in honour of Jean Paul Riopelle, to celebrate the late local artist’s 100th birthday.
Scaling more than 48 m (160 ft) high, Magnetic Art is a collaboration between the city, the Riopelle Foundation, public art organization MU, Tourisme Montreal, the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough, and artist Marc Seguin. It is the 25th mural in MU’s Montreal’s Great Artists series, which was launched in 2010 to honour cultural and artistic icons throughout the city.
The mural can be observed from various points of view throughout Montreal’s downtown area, including the McGill University campus and Mount Royal’s Kondiaronk lookout. It invites viewers to connect with Riopelle’s work, along with his sources of inspiration: nature and landscapes, his bestiary, his passion, and his creative freedom.
A multidisciplinary artist from Quebec, Seguin was chosen among 20 potential artists by a jury spearheaded by Yseult Riopelle, Jean Paul Riopelle’s daughter. Riopelle has been one of his idols for more than 30 years, and Seguin has studied him throughout his academic and artistic career.
Celebrations for Riopelle’s 100th birthday will continue throughout the year in Montreal.
