Billboard Art Installation

March 2021 - Present
Montreal, QC

This public art installation sits atop Saint-Henri's historic RCA building. Erected in November 2021, this large-scale billboard features three of Climan’s artworks that are visible to commuters from the city's high-traffic Ville-Marie Expressway (R-136).

Through this project, the Montreal-born-and-based artist examines our relationship with the advertising that punctuates our daily lives, transforming marketing vessels into canvases for art. Climan considers the significance of placing artwork in a commonly-used commercial context — proposing a moment of contemplation for viewers making their daily commutes.

“I wanted to evoke a sense of mystery with this project. The artworks aren’t signed or marked and there’s no real indication as to why they’re there,” says Climan. “I’m interested in the idea of the viewer drawing their own conclusion, and how their narrative for the works changes over the days, weeks, and months of driving past them.”

Showcasing Climan’s signature figurative style, the three artworks – a fleeting moment seen through binoculars, a dog in an open field, and a car’s flashing headlights – explore the notions of escapism and freedom, two themes that inform much of his oeuvre and also speaks to the current cultural moment. Inspired by a mid-century era, Climan draws on the time’s non-digital simplicity with clean-edged forms and wide-open compositions in a neutral yet evocative palette.