I discovered this fountain walking to work one morning. A company of plumbers were preparing it for the upcoming season. Though it was not the only fountain I’ve discovered over the last little while in my home town of Montreal. Please join me for Montreal Virtual Fountain Tours. I hope to be informative and entertaining at times.
As someone who walks a great deal I’ve discovered more than a few aqueous gems in my home town of Montreal. After a kind suggestion from a friend I realized that maybe it would be worthwhile sharing Montreal's fountains with others globally.
The sculpture La Joute by Jean-Paul Riopelle created in 1969 was not complete nor was it installed where it is located today, but was located by the Olympic Stadium.
According to Riopelle biographer François-Marc Gagnon, Riopelle himself called this work “The Tower of Life”. The creatures are striving to capture the flag, and some, including those who installed this fountain in its current location in 2004 is truer to his original design. Soucy Aquatik who is responsible for this installation write on their website: "The four elements of water, air, land, and fire come together in all four seasons in this fountain by Jean-Paul Riopelle located in the centre of Montreal’s Quartier International."
Soucy AquatiK continues: "The fountain includes a round basin with an umbrella-shaped jet. On the surface of the water, a ring of fire is combined with a captivating mist effect. These special displays are pre-programmed and operate automatically according to a predetermined schedule."
The artwork's owner the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, the Quebec government and Riopelle’s heirs felt that moving the creation to it’s current location would receive more exposure and honour that the author deserved. In its current location it also includes all the elements, which Riopelle had designed into the work including both the fountain and fire elements.
Watch this copy here: https://bit.ly/3RQCmoD
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