québec city transforms as art fair passages insolites unexpectedly takes over

ephemeral installations from upside-down cars turned into planters to underground buried libraries take over québec city in the 8^th annual edition of passages insolites. the open-air fair organized by exmuro arts publics takes over entire streets and rivers, involving more than 20 urban artworks by international artists. whether ones passes through an arch made of golden baguettes or around the water submerged village in bassin louis, the unexpected boundary-pushing works definitely deliver surprising moments.

french artist benedetto bufalino flips ‘lawn cars’ filled with earth, reflecting on consumerism and climate emergency

all images courtesy of passages insolites
photographs by stéphane bourgeois

under the artistic direction of vincent roy and in collaboration with l’assemblée nationale de québec, le grand théâtre de québec and the ciradelle-musée royal, passages insolites by exmuro unravels and reconnects the city’s corners. thanks to artists participating from all over the world, original, playful and unscripted pop-ups give passersby unanticipated encounters. painted yellow arrows point to the different locations and the journey begins!

american artist mark jenkins dresses hyperrealistic characters in alarming positions fooling passersby underneath

for the first time, performers such as dancers, musicians, circus, theater and multidisciplinary artists spark joy and magic around the artworks. from petit-champlain to the old port district this brand new experience straddles the border between reality and imagination. moreover, the emblematic building designed for québec’s 400^th anniversary welcomes MOBA, the museum of bad art. on a tour from boston, its visit to the city marks another first. to house art that is too bad to be ignored, espace 400^th is transformed into a museum itself. 

swedish artist susanna hesselberg buries an out-of-reach library evoking the all-consuming pain of losing a loved one

local artist sarah thibault architects ‘monumental impermanence’ in gilded baguettes leading to saint-roch church

for the first time, the performing arts are part of the passages insolites circuit

quebecois artist pascale leblanc lavigne puts up ten robotic arms with blue cloths to clean ‘the bus shelter’

delirious québec collective creates a miniature version of the city reproducing and combining notable local buildings

exhibition info:

name: passages insolites

organizer: exmuro

location: public art city, québec, canada

duration: june 26- october 11, 2021

photography: stéphane bourgeois /@stephanebourgeois