Perte de signal is formed of eight separate pieces of increasing size, made of patinated aluminum, and is intended to highlight the heritage and architectural aspect of the site. The artist used an element common in the architectural heritage of Lachine, the ornamental beam anchor, which he deconstructed through pixelation then reassembled into a metaphoric artistic element that evokes overflow. Used mainly in the nineteenth century, this ornamental object was placed on exterior walls and was designed to consolidate the beams of large buildings. Often, these pieces were in the shape of a rosette or other decorative element. Thus, the artist both highlights the contemporary architecture of the building, thanks to the use of materials such as aluminum, and evokes the neighbourhood’s past through the motif of the decorative beam anchor. A dialogue is created between the two elements.

The work is integrated into the west wall of Bibliothèque Saul-Bellow and extends to the building’s north wall, thus creating a sense of movement on the façade. The protruding pieces reveal an edge of shiny aluminum contrasting with the green colour of the initial motif.

The artwork was produced in the context of the expansion of Bibliothèque Saul-Bellow and is part of the Quebec government’s Politique d’intégration des arts à l’architecture et à l’environnement des sites gouvernementaux et publics.