This summer, Les Visages de Montréal will grace the city's facades

Montreal, June 14, 2021 – Les Visages de Montréal is a genuine, creative appeal for solidarity and community engagement on an international scale that will evolve throughout the summer. Les Visages de Montréal is an Inside Out Project Group Action, an ongoing project launched by French artist JR that has made stops at cities all over the world. With the participation of some of the city’s most high profile institutions, it will feature the faces of Montrealers while inviting them to renew their connection with the downtown core.

Inside Out is inspired by the large-scale collages that the French artist JR has created in city streets, uniting over 400 000 people in close to 140 countries throughout the world. With Les Visages de Montréal, thousands of portraits of Montreal citizens will take over the streets. As of the middle of June, numerous organizations and institutions in the downtown core will display photos that represent their communities on their facades. In the windows of Théâtre Maisonneuve, Place des Arts will pay homage to its artisans and employees. The SDC Quartier latin will highlight the neighborhood’s workers, the Complexe Desjardins will showcase the faces of its community and the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) will adorn their campus with images of its students to greet their upcoming returns. At the same time using video projections, BAnQ will present portraits of its members on the Grande Bibliothèque, and residents of Habitations Jeanne-Mance will take centre stage on the facade outside of Saint-Laurent metro station.

“This winter we showed that the cultural heart of Montreal still has a beat. Now it’s time to bring back its spirit. The artists, business owners, students, workers and residents of downtown Montreal have demonstrated great resilience and creativity over the last year. The moment has come to step out, rediscover ourselves and see each other again. Let’s get out there and share our love for our city with a smile on our faces!” says Mrs. Monique Simard, chair of the board of directors for the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership.

“The downtown core’s greatest strength is without a doubt the collective vision and creativity of its people. If we are Quebec’s biggest economic, cultural and university centre, it’s because there’s a human face behind every business, project, and scientific breakthrough. Montréal centre-ville is proud to be a part of Visages de Montréal, to help promote the city’s artistic talent and support the revitalization of the downtown Montreal,” adds Mr. Glenn Castanheira, General Manager of Montréal centre-ville.

As of the end of June, the Les Visages de Montréal photo booth truck will take to the streets of Montréal to meet the locals. Follow this photo booth on four wheels as it travels from Atwater to Papineau Street and from Sherbrooke Street to the St. Lawrence River, taking portraits of passersby that will decorate building facades and walls throughout downtown Montreal.

Les Visages de Montréal is an evolving project that will roll out in the heart of the city throughout the summer. It is a monumental, unifying art work created to pay homage to Montrealers’ resilience and invite the participation of the many communities that make Montreal such a vibrant metropolis.