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MURAL LES PORTES DU TEMPS – SPRING 2024

In collaboration with Mémoire du Mile End, SDC Laurier West, the City of Montreal and the boutique Ombres et couleurs – Benjamin Moore, the mural Les Portes du Temps was created by artists Ankhone & Nicole Boyce in spring 2024. The mural stems from an artistic and symbolic concept. As such, it invites visitors to step through an imaginary doorway to explore different eras in the history of the Mile End district.

Follow our artists : @ankh_one & @nicoleboyce_art

 

Artists at work during the second edition of Mile End en Fête

THEMES AND MOTIFS

Les Portes du Temps explores the theme of past and future through a captivating interplay of light, color and symbolism. Indeed, on the left-hand wall are iconic historical photographs and an elderly figure. These elements evoke a sense of reflection and nostalgia about the past, represented by a deliberate absence of light and color.

Mile End’s past on the wall of Lio Fratelli

As the eye moves to the right, the gradual introduction of vibrant hues and images symbolizes the present and the future. Flowers and hands embody resilience, beauty and the journey of life, linked by a unifying central motif. In this way, the interplay of light, color and symbolism aims to inspire contemplation of the passage of time. At the same time, it instills a hopeful anticipation for the future of the Mile End community.

Mile End’s future on the wall of the Optical Center

CONTEXT

We’re at the intersection of Saint-Urbain and Laurier Ouest, a strategic crossroads that opens onto iconic neighborhood streets and landmarks. This site has always been a witness to its history and the passage of time. People of diverse ethnic, linguistic and religious backgrounds share the pleasure of living here.

We participated in two citizen consultations with Mile End Memory, the neighborhood’s historical society, to provide cultural mediation for the project. The archives were prepared in the boutique Agriculture du Coin in April 2024. This project was made possible thanks to the financial support of the City of Montreal through the MAP.

INAUGURATION

Tshe inauguration took place on June 20 at the Optical Center.

Mélanie Leavitt, Joshua Wolfe & Nathalie Tremblay (Mémoire du Mile End), Marie Sterlin & Marie Plourde (Mile End District Councillors), Gérard Castonguay (Ombres & Couleurs), Elisabeth Coelho (Lio Fratelli), Gabriel Dallaire (SDC Laurier W), Étienne Groleau (Benjamin Moore), Roxanna Ionas (AGAME), Mikaël Carriau (Ankh One), Nicole Boyce (artist), Thibault, Tanguay & Samuel (Optical Center).

With the support of :