About
A leading figure in geometric abstraction in Quebec, Denis Juneau (1925–2014) joined the second generation of the Plasticiens in the late 1950s. The total deafness that had marked his life since childhood fostered in him an exceptional ability to concentrate, which accompanied and enriched his artistic practice. The choice of the Raymond-Dewar-Laurier Centre to host this mural therefore holds special significance: Juneau spent his early years of study there, when the institution was known as the Institut des Sourds-Muets de Montréal. He also lived and worked in the Plateau-Mont-Royal neighborhood from 1969 to 2014.
His work, which focuses primarily on painting, explores space through lines, shapes, and colors, constantly pushing the boundaries of visual language. His contribution remains indispensable to the history of Canadian art.
The mural created by visual artist Ilana Pichon fits naturally into this exploration of forms and colors. Her practice includes screen printing, murals, installations, and artist’s books. Her approach is rooted in a variety of practices whose processes and essence are driven by the same impulses: the observation and dissection of space. She creates an architectural, territorial, and human cartography filled with reference points that emanates from each work created specifically for its location.
For this mural, the site-specific elements gathered on location were linked to ambient sounds. Rather than limiting herself to perfect forms, the artist sought instead to play, to transcribe instinctively, and to create symmetries, grounding her creation in the movement and vitality of the sounds she was fortunate enough to hear around her. The mural pays a sensitive and evocative tribute to Denis Juneau, while offering a personal and contemporary interpretation of his legacy.
This tribute to Denis Juneau is part of our “Montreal’s Cultural Builders” collection, launched in 2010 to highlight the remarkable contributions of artists — across all disciplines — who shape the city’s cultural identity. By honoring art through art, the mural reminds us of our duty to preserve meaning and memory.
