Mars
Patrick Bernatchez
Deux-Montagnes Station
Artist: Patrick Bernatchez
Patrick Bernatchez is a self-taught multidisciplinary artist who lives and works in Montréal. His work reflects his contemplation of time and his interest in northernness, climatic factors and various dystopian topics. His works can be found in the collections of many public and private institutions and have been featured in solo and group exhibitions in Canada, Europe, the United States and Australia.
About the work
Mars is a 15-metre-long white marble sculpture located at the outdoor site of the Deux-Montagnes REM Station.
The monumental piece recalls a landscape or a mound of snow during thaw, somewhere between winter and spring. Borrowing its form from that of a real iceberg, it evokes our northernness, nature and humanity’s impact on it.
Various objects pierce the marble: a bicycle, a ball, a balloon, a lamppost, a car mirror. These bronze-cast objects serve as familiar traces of human activity. The choice of material also resonates historically, recalling some of humanity’s oldest tools.
Throughout the year, the chameleon-like work transforms. In winter, it fades beneath the snow and blends with the landscape. In spring, it re-emerges, becoming the centrepiece of a public garden. In midsummer, it invites passers-by to rest in the shade of surrounding trees. In fall, it stands as an anachronism until the first snowfall, when the play of illusions resumes. The mise en abyme continues, set to the rhythm of the seasons.