Jean-Jacques Besner
Voiles
1990
Presentation of the artwork
Designed on the theme of sail-water-navigation, Voile l is part of a grouping of two artworks, Voile l and Voile ll, permanently erected on the edge of Rivière des Prairies. The sculpture is composed of three juxtaposed elements, made of polished stainless steel, that form a triangle. It is an allegory for the sailboats that appear on the river in summertime. Because aesthetics and movement were the artist’s primary concerns, when he created the work each of the elements pivoted on its axis. When it was restored in 2003–04, however, the artwork was immobilized for safety reasons.
Associated events
The work was created during Sculpture: Séduction 90, an event that took place in 16 Montréal Urban Community parks from 15 June to 30 September 1990. Organized by the Conseil de la sculpture du Québec, its goal was to present “a permanent itinerary of large-format sculptures integrated with the environment of municipal parks.” 
Crédit photo: Denis Labine, 2004
Jean-Jacques Besner
Jean-Jacques Besner was born in Vaudreuil in 1919. A commercial and interior designer, he was director of the Man at Work pavilion at the Montréal World Fair in 1967. His work, influenced by Russian constructivism, was inspired by the encounter of art and technology. “Aesthetics and movement are the primary concerns in my work: a formal aesthetic and an aesthetic of materials associated with the real or virtual movement of sculptures, murals, or stained-glass windows,” he once said. In Montréal, his sculptures can be seen at Maison Alcan and the Lucien-L’Allier métro station, among other places. He died in 1993.
Presentation of the artwork
Designed on the theme of sail-water-navigation, Voile l is part of a grouping of two artworks, Voile l and Voile ll, permanently erected on the edge of Rivière des Prairies. The sculpture is composed of three juxtaposed elements, made of polished stainless steel, that form a triangle. It is an allegory for the sailboats that appear on the river in summertime. Because aesthetics and movement were the artist’s primary concerns, when he created the work each of the elements pivoted on its axis. When it was restored in 2003–04, however, the artwork was immobilized for safety reasons.
Associated events
The work was created during Sculpture: Séduction 90, an event that took place in 16 Montréal Urban Community parks from 15 June to 30 September 1990. Organized by the Conseil de la sculpture du Québec, its goal was to present “a permanent itinerary of large-format sculptures integrated with the environment of municipal parks.”
Jean-Jacques Besner
Jean-Jacques Besner was born in Vaudreuil in 1919. A commercial and interior designer, he was director of the Man at Work pavilion at the Montréal World Fair in 1967. His work, influenced by Russian constructivism, was inspired by the encounter of art and technology. “Aesthetics and movement are the primary concerns in my work: a formal aesthetic and an aesthetic of materials associated with the real or virtual movement of sculptures, murals, or stained-glass windows,” he once said. In Montréal, his sculptures can be seen at Maison Alcan and the Lucien-L’Allier métro station, among other places. He died in 1993.
