Inflexion

The work Inflexion was produced for the World Guitar Festival in Abitibi-Témiscamingue. 

Artists : Sébastien Ouellette and Lancelot St-Amour

Mediums : Steel and copper 

Dimensions : 5.2m high, 375 kg

Year : 2017

This monumental sculpture highlights the vitality that reigns in this square thanks to the festivals that take place there throughout the year. It demonstrates the sense of belonging that citizens and festival-goers have for this neighbourhood, which they proudly refer to as 'the little entertainment neighbourhood' because of the many performance venues in the area and the effervescence that ensues. 

This work enriches the community both visually and historically, as it marks the 90th anniversary of the Horne Smelter, which was and remains a major player in the development of this neighbourhood.

For those curious about the technical details, the sculpture required over 500 hours of work in the workshop and on site. 

Take a close look at the great work of the artists to arrive at this magnificent result!

Originating from Rouyn-Noranda, Sébastien Ouellette has a diploma in visual arts and anthropology. For more than 20 years, he professionally practices sculpting and painting, on top of teaching at the Cégep de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue since 2015. He has many solo and collective expositions to his name, not just in the region, but Montreal and Toronto as well. He has also participated in many national and international competitions and symposiums.

His artistic approach is largely connected to his training in anthropology, and his inspiration often comes from ethnology, sociology, and archeology textbooks. Each new production begins with an active data collection, where interaction with the occupants of where he conducts his research is of most importance.

Lancelot St-Amour was born in Repentigny in 1993 and lived in Montreal for a few years. Having had enough of the latter, he decided to move to Rouyn-Noranda in 2013 and it was once there that he really started making art. Following a meeting with Sébastien Ouellette at the Cabaret de la dernière chance, he collaborated with him for several years. What inspires him most in his sculptural practice is the relationship he has with forms, from a modern rather than a contemporary perspective, in reference to Suprematism and Dadaism among others. For him, art is a practice that allows the bad to come out!