Identity is fragmentary. It is constructed as much from what belongs to us as from what escapes us, through the accumulation of successive layers and through erasure. It develops through the signs, absences, and remnants that shape our relationship with time and territory.
Gatineau, a territory of dualities and resilience, carries an identity marked by its transformations, sometimes brutal, sometimes silent. Material traces disappear, altering our relationship with memory. Yet, the erased landscapes and communities continue to influence who we are.
The Territory as Material
Using historical maps of Hull from before 1900, urban forms and buildings that have since disappeared are superimposed onto current maps. These erased fragments become the motif of the work, forming a graphic vocabulary derived from the history of the place.
A Light on the Past
Like a contemporary beacon, the sculpture takes the form of a light sign. Its reflective surface captures the current image of the city, while its perforations draw an abstract map of vanished forms. The internal light makes these absences visible.