An exhibition presented at Jardin Daniel A. Séguin
Although we are well aware of plants’ capacity to purify the air we breathe, we know less about their power to cleanse water and soil. Yet, it is estimated that many species – more than eight hundred, called phytoremediation plants – actually have the ability to extract, neutralize, or destroy various pollutants and contaminants. Inspired by this remarkable botanical phenomenon, the visual artist Guillaume Saur presents Phytoresilience at Jardin Daniel A. Séguin, as part of the summer–fall program of EXPRESSION Centre d’exposition de Saint-Hyacinthe.
Showcasing a joyful gathering of phytoremediation plants, Saur offers a fertile hinterland, a resilient garden, a cultivated hope. Tall fescue, sheep’s fescue, rock fescue, common bentgrass, flax, and alfalfa are featured in communion with a series of exhibition-specific works, whose raw materials are different phytoremediation plants, including sweet white clover, willow, and poplar. They include sculpture-vases embedded with foliage motifs, digital etchings and solar prints on handmade paper, prints on cement, and photographic enlargements mounted on wood structures, revealing the rich fibre of the plants that form the image.
Phytoresilience is an homage to phytoremediation – to the plants that have evolved in response to the contamination of our land, which has accelerated constantly since the advent of industrialization. Having adapted to cope with these conditions, these plants share with us what they have learned, showing us the path to rehabilitation and healing. In a burst of solidarity and optimism, Saur invites us to join forces with the plants and offers us, at the Jardin, a bouquet of resilience.
OPENING
Saturday, June 13
11 am to 1 pm
In the presence of the artist and the curator
Free admission
Upcoming Events at the Garden
– Creative workshop, nature walk, and foraging with the artist.
– Talk on environmental toxicology and phytoremediation.
Daniel A. Séguin Garden
Admission charged
3211 Sicotte Street, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2
Summer opening hours
Saturday 20 June to Sunday 6 September
Tuesday to Sunday: 10 am to 5 pm
Monday: Closed