About
This summer, MU is creating a mural in the Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough, on a wall of the Habitations Vézina building. The mural aims to honor collective memory and celebrate the migration journeys of the Vietnamese, Laotian, and Cambodian communities who immigrated to Quebec.
Beginning in 1975, in the wake of the end of the Vietnam War and the onset of the genocide in Cambodia, more than 180,000 Southeast Asian refugees were welcomed to Canada. The year 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the exodus from these three countries — one of the largest forced migrations in modern history. It also celebrates the incredible wave of solidarity that welcomed these individuals to Montreal.
Conceived as an intercultural and intergenerational artistic bridge, the mural is rooted in remembrance and respect for the past, while celebrating the vibrant presence of Southeast Asian communities who are now well-established and thriving here. It offers younger — and older — generations the opportunity to reclaim their stories.
Artist Bryan Beyung, in collaboration with FONKi, has created a mural that highlights the themes of memory, transmission, and renewal. A symbol present in all three cultures, the lotus represents resilience, peace, rebirth, and optimism. It grows in the mud but always rises toward the light. The mural is also a tribute to the land of welcome that allowed these communities to start anew and rebuild. It stands as a testimony of love and gratitude to those who paved the way.
The Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough is a symbolic location for this project, as it has been home to several generations of Cambodian, Vietnamese, and Laotian families for decades. The choice of location reflects a desire to highlight cultural diversity and the living memory of these communities.
MU collaborated with cultural organizations to foster dialogue with the communities involved and to implement cultural mediation around the project. In addition, artists Bryan Beyung and FONKi hosted a roundtable discussion titled “Finding Your Path: Art, Identity, and Boldness Among Today’s Cambodian Artists” during the Champa Festival – Season of Cambodia, at Place des Arts in May 2025.
To learn more about the artists:
Bryan Beyung
FONKi
