MONTREAL — Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, MASSIVart Collection and Sid Lee Architecture have unveiled the hotel’s new 123-piece permanent art collection (see examples below).
“We are proud of this project where each participant shares our objective of promoting artists from Montreal, Quebec and Canada,” says Arthur Gaillard, director and co-founder of MASSIVart Collection. “We are convinced they bring an important element of value creation and new clientele. Our expertise allowed us to bring new life into the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth brand by creating a unique artistic experience.”
In the wake of major transformation work done to the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, MASSIVart Collection was given the mandate to create an art collection for the hotel that would showcase emerging local artists. The selection was made in collaboration with the art curator Marie-Justine Snider, from the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and Ivanhoé Cambridge and Sid Lee Architecture. The art collection is an integral part of the mythic suite 1742, which hosted John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s bed-in and establishes the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth as a pioneer in Canadian art among hotels.
The collection features works by 37 contemporary Canadian artists displayed on 21 floors. A multitude of disciplines — including Sculptures, paintings, photography and drawings — are showcased in this collection. A large portion of the artwork is exhibited in the public areas of the hotel. Because of this initiative, the hotel is now positioned as an artistic destination in Montreal.
“Art enlivens spaces and fuels an exchange of ideas, while creating a sense of community. Investing in art is a way of making a tangible contribution to Quebec’s cultural heritage and our city’s identity,” says Snider.
