Palemptère by Quentin Savignac

The Layers of a Collective Memory

Palemptère by artist Quentin Savignac explores collective memory and the traces of a territory.

Like a landscape shaped by time, Palimptère reveals the multiple layers that make up the identity of Gatineau. Each era, each community, and each transformation leaves an imprint that continues to shape the territory today.


Two stories, one city

The work takes shape through the layering of successive strata that evoke the cultural, historical, and landscape dualities unique to Gatineau. Connected at their center, these two entities unite in a balance where each difference enriches the other.

The Butterfly as a Symbol

Together, these forms outline the silhouette of a butterfly, a symbol of transformation, resilience, and renewal. Its wooden and metal wings embody a city built through its contrasts, whose richness arises from the meeting of its different histories.

A Return to the Cultural Trail

First presented in 2025, Palimptère continues its journey by integrating into the Cultural Trail. Inspired by the landscapes, memory, and transformations of the territory, the work finds in Gatineau a context that reinforces its message.

About the Artist

Quentin Savignac is a multidisciplinary designer and artist from Montreal, with a degree in urban planning and urban design. His unique approach combines public space design and artistic creation to question our relationship with the landscape. He expresses himself through various mediums such as sculpture, illustration, and analog photography.

His style is distinguished by a constant exploration of the connections between urbanity, the history of a territory, and nature. He creates captivating installations that layer collective memory and contemporary imagination. His sculptural work Palimptère, presented at the Gatineau Cultural Trail, perfectly embodies this poetic fusion of forms.

Extract of
Discover the Sentier Culturel Downtown Gatineau

Discover the Sentier Culturel Downtown Gatineau image circuit

Presented by : Ville de Gatineau
Get There

Download the BaladoDiscovery app (for Android and iOS) and access the largest network of self-guided tour experiences in Canada.