COR-TEN outdoor public art tour of Montreal

That's not rust, that's Cor-Ten.



Université de Montreal's Faculté de l’aménagement on 2940 chemin Cote-Ste-Catherine That's not urban decay and infrastructure collapse, that's Cor-Ten! Whether it is post-modern achitecture's joke on the public is another matter altogether.




That orange glow... is it? It is, it is Cor-ten steel!



Cor-ten is a "weathering" steel. Translation: it is steel that rusts. Isn't that a bad thing? For bicycles, yes. But for public art sculptures it isn't.

"Weathering steel or corten steel is a material that contains a percentage of copper that allows its surface to oxidize. Corten imparts some of its colour when touched, giving people a sensory reminder of its history before it fades." "Sensory reminder" is some artspeak that we are going to add to our vocabulary, and not, ever, in relation to eating beans.

So today's ride destination objective is to visit some Corten steel public art. Preferably, really big public art.

Does Montreal have any Corten scuptures? You bet it does.

Where?

In the imaginary village.

Are you f***ing with us?

We're not. The Imaginary Village (the BIG picture above) is an art work commissioned to mark the 350th anniversary of the arrival of Marguerite-Bourgeoys and the Great Recruitment of 1653. it is located in Marguerite-Bourgeoys Park in the Borough of Le Sud-Ouest, which we know as Point-St-Charles.

Any other locations?

McGill at waterfall fountain in new pedestrian mall behind Physics building
The base of the Jean-Pierre Morin sculpture in front of the Grande Bibliotheque (BANQ)
Parc Molson in Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie borough: Jean-Pierre Morin, Temps d'arrêt

Our recent urban exploration sunset ride (see below) passed some corten, but we can't remember where exactly. There is a lot of outdoor public art on that ride.

(Update) We remembered! It is in Square Dalhousie. The art is by Jocelyne Alloucherie, Porte de jour.


Dalhousie Square, just across Berri from the eastern edge of Old Montreal in the "Faubourg Quebec" residential redevelopment.

The building at left used to house the Ecole Nationale du Cirque, and is now home to the Cirque Eloize.


The grass in this square is primarily a dog toilet.


We passed the next cor-ten sculpture is in the very nice Parc/Promenade Bellerive in the east end.



Roland POULIN, Continuum 2009 - à la mémoire de Pierre Perrault (2009) at Parc de la Promenade-Bellerive, Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve Borough.

Another sculpture with a Corten base is in Parc Molson on Beaubien east. There is a great nearby burger joint La Boulette. This sculpture is very reminiscent of the sculpture in front of the Grande Bibliotheque (BANQ). (photos to come later)


Today's project is to go out and find some public art on your own. Here is a list of ville de Montreal Public Art.

Do it on bike.

And remember to have fun.


"A" on the map is the Corten sculpture, B is Maison St-Gabriel.

These are two highly excellent and bikeable Montreal urban destinations in Montreal's Southwest borough of Le Sud-Ouest, aka Point-St-Charles. Maison St-Gabriel is from the 1600s. This is one of the very oldest buildings on Montreal island.