Behold Les touristes frozen in painted resin. This sculpture grouping shows a group of tourists. They are a couple, a grandfather and a child, a skater, and a dog.
Les touristes was created by Elisabeth Buffoli in 1989. Buffoli was born in Nancy, France, in 1940. She now lives and works in Normandie. Her art often features dogs, dance, and nature. She captures moments with humor, tenderness, empathy, and irony.
These stocky figures wear astonished expressions. They contemplate as if alone in the world. But the dog and a passerby seem indifferent. They don’t share the tourists’ amazement. This contrast shows living together. It is the cohabitation of different worlds. Tourists and residents share the same space.
Buffoli’s style is related to Raymond Masson’s work. Masson’s La Foule illuminée shows ordinary people as everyday heroes. Les touristes extends the Pop Art of the 1960s. This was a time when daily life became a favorite subject for artists.
Originally, Les touristes was commissioned for Les Halles district of Paris in 1939. In 2017, Paris gifted the work to Montreal. This gift celebrated Montreal’s 375th anniversary. The Ville-Marie Borough renovated Parc de La Presse for the installation.
Transplanted to North America, Les touristes keeps its meaning. The park is in Old Montreal. This is a tourist area like Les Halles. Here the characters face historical buildings, as they did in Paris.
The sculptures represent five people and a dog. The scene is inspired by everyday life. It reflects Western urban life. It shows subjects relating to the neighborhood life of a big city.
Look closely at the dog of Les touristes. You will see a shaggy dog. Buffoli’s artwork is regularly exhibited in Europe. You can find her pieces in museums and galleries in France, Germany, and Switzerland.
Take a moment to appreciate Les touristes. Notice how Buffoli captures a slice of life. She freezes it in time. She shows the wonder of being a tourist. She highlights the everyday indifference of city life. It is a gift from Paris to Montreal. Les touristes embodies the spirit of both cities.