MURAL and Place des Arts welcome ORB, a work by Spanish artist SpY on the Esplanade de la PDA
Montreal, October 1, 2024 – MURAL in partnership with Place des Arts is proud to announce the installation of ORB, a prestigious work by the Spanish artist SpY, his first in-situ intervention in Canada. After being exhibited in front of the pyramids at Giza, near Cairo, the spheric sculpture is taking its place in Montreal on the Esplanade de la Place des Arts for a period of five years, thanks in part to the financial support of Québec government and Tourisme Montréal. Composed of multiple circular mirrors, the sphere reflects its environment as it changes with the surrounding light and movement to offer a different view to each of its visitors.
“Tourisme Montréal is pleased to contribute to the inauguration of this work, which will surely stand out as a temporary landmark in what is considered the country’s most important cultural complex. The artist SpY’s work ORB will energize the public space, as much for residents as for visitors, and at the same time heighten the beauty and excitement
of what is a highly popular destination for tourists from around the world,” stated Yves Lalumière, President and CEO of Tourisme Montréal.
Measuring four meters in diameter, ORB is composed of 90 convex polished-steel discs that project a kaleidoscopic effect by offering multiple perspectives to those who approach it. Thus, the work finds itself in perpetual interaction with its environment by day and by night,
creating a unique visual and sensory experience. The artist drew inspiration, in creating the work, from Egyptian spirituality and the mathematical constants that lie at the heart of our understanding of the universe. There is a geometric correspondence between the ORB
sphere and the height of the pyramids at Giza, which all revolve around the number Pi, while the numerous reflections and the sunlight symbolize the power of rebirth and regeneration. SpY’s wish was to fuse contemporary art with the ancestral knowledge of Egyptian
civilization by way of a work that evokes the continuity of our knowledge of the universe from yesterday to today. It is a safe bet that the beauty and light brought by ORB will become a central feature of the Esplanade de la Place des Arts and consequently a sought-after
attraction in the city.
“We’re very proud to have acquired this majestic work, which will amaze Montrealers and visitors alike through its symbolism and its strategic location. We thank the artist SpY for his magnificent creation and his trust in our team to welcome this work of art to our city in all its splendor for the next five years,” declared Nicolas Munn Rico, founder and president of MURAL.
“The arrival of this extremely beautiful sphere designed by an important contemporary artist is truly an opportunity to bring Montrealers and visitors together, and testifies once again to the importance of culture in our great metropolis. Its choice location on the Esplanade de la Place des Arts, where the work will take center stage for the first time in a pool of water, is sure to appeal to the curious and to art lovers of every stripe. Place des Arts is proud to be able to host such a creation, and to do so for the next five years,” added Marie-Josée Desrochers, President and CEO of Place des Arts.
The urban artist SpY is deemed to be one of the pioneers of Spanish street art through his distinct and provocative style. SpY uses a variety of mediums – installations, sculptures, illuminated panels and posters – to transform public space into a setting for interaction and for asking profound questions about society. His creations have demonstrated time
and time again their ability to engage the public with the urban environment and the cultural codes of the place where they happen to be. Previously exhibited in Paris, New York, Tokyo and Berlin, SpY will be presenting a work for the first time in Canada. He invites the public to reconsider their perception of space, movement and light when
contemplating ORB.
“The Esplanade de la Place des Arts is frequented by thousands of people every week, and the arrival of this work is excellent news. It's a magnificent legacy for the metropolis and the Quartier des spectacles! It's a project we supported as part of the Fonds signature métropole, and it's very much in line with the kind of initiatives we want to see springing up all over Montreal,” said Christine Fréchette, Minister of the Economy, Innovation and Energy, Minister responsible for Regional Economic Development and Minister responsible for the Metropolis and the Montreal Region.
Starting today, visitors can stroll along the Esplanade de la Place des Arts to contemplate SpY’s spherical work ORB, at the heart of the cultural epicenter’s festivities for the next five years. To best appreciate the different lightings that reflect on all its facets and to enjoy the
lights installed in the evening, strollers are invited to revisit the work at different times of day. As wonderful as it is in the daytime, evening time is when it really comes into its own!
This large-scale project is produced by MURAL and made possible thanks to the financial support of the Québec government through the Fonds signature métropole and Tourisme Montréal’s Initiatives program, in partnership with Place des Arts.
About MURAL
MURAL is a nonprofit organization operating mostly in Montreal, whose mission is to make street art more accessible. It produces the MURAL public art festival in Montreal every year in June that features mural artworks, musical shows, digital installations and technology-
centric exhibitions on and alongside St-Laurent Blvd. MURAL also produces public-art works and special events throughout the year, both in Montreal and other areas of Quebec. MURAL is celebrated as a key player in the promotion of urban art in all its shapes and forms and
has been awarded multiple prizes since the launch of the festival in 2013, among them the Grand Prix du tourisme de Montréal (2014, 2016, 2019), the Prix Idea (2021), the Grand Prix du design (2022), and the Sponsorship Marketing Award (2022).
About Place des Arts
The objects of the Société de la Place des Arts de Montréal are to operate a business for the diffusion of the performing arts, to administer Place des Arts de Montréal and the Amphithéâtre Fernand-Lindsay in Joliette, and to establish the artistic programming at
Maison symphonique for organizations other than the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. These activities are to be conducted, more specifically, so as to provide a residence for major arts organizations, to improve access to the various types of performing arts, and to promote arts and culture in Québec. The Société hosts artistic works originating in Québec or elsewhere, featuring both emerging artists and international stars, in collaboration with artistic organizations, producers, creators, and the entire cultural community.
Located in the very heart of the Quartier des spectacles and the city itself, Place des Arts also hosts works of art on its walls, on its Esplanade and in its exhibit hall in addition to projecting digital works on its mosaic of screens.
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Natalie Dion | ndion@roy-turner.com