It is in Saint-Jean-de-l’Île-d’Orléans, in this village which gives a nod to the north bank of the river, that Volume was established. Visible from the Mitan road which crosses the island from edge to edge across fields, the eight cubic foot creation contrasts, through its geometry and its whiteness, with the expanse of green that surrounds it.
“I wanted to explore the influence of a composition on our perception of place and the natural environment,” explains Juliette Blouin, a graphic designer by training, who continues her journey as a multidisciplinary artist through painting, sculpture and architecture. “As there is no built element around, only the structure and the landscape stand out. The impact is even greater. »
Obtaining a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec was the driving force behind setting up this artistic installation with an architectural theme. The owners of a farm then agreed to welcome the creation on their land on Île d’Orléans, to which the artist is attached having spent his summers there as a child.
Originally, Volume is a cube, she explains. Cut in two, it gave two rectangular prisms. By a simple rotation of 90 degrees, the orientation of these geometric shapes creates two perspectives: one oriented towards the sky, the other towards the horizon. These two windows frame the landscape, highlight certain of its components and allow us to contemplate it differently.
Volume can be appreciated from Mitan until spring 2024. You can also drive there by leaving your car on the side of the road, to approach the path on foot to the installation. Inside, four canvases illustrate the different uses of the form.
