Entrelacement Installation

Michel de Broin’s Entrelacement Installation. A curious name, isn’t it? It evokes images of interwoven branches, tangled threads, a complex knot. Here we stand before it, this intriguing artwork, a modern addition to Montreal’s rich tapestry of history and culture. The Entrelacement Installation stands as a testament to artistic innovation. But how does it connect to the stories of this city, a city woven from threads of French, English, and Indigenous cultures? Let’s explore that connection. Montreal, born as Ville-Marie, a small French settlement clinging to the edge of the St. Lawrence River. Imagine the year 1642, a mere handful of colonists facing the harsh realities of a new world. Families like Louise Garnier and Pierre Goguet, arriving with their daughter from Poitou, France, only to add six more children to their family, born on Montreal soil. Theirs, and thousands of others, became a story of perseverance, of families taking root and shaping the very essence of what Montreal would become. The 17th century was a time of unions. Not just the joining of two individuals in marriage, but the intermingling of cultures. French men marrying French women. French men finding partners amongst the young Canadian women born in this new land. Even the rare union of French women with Canadian men, or the occasional marriage with an Indigenous person. These unions are the heart of the story. These are the interwoven threads represented by the Entrelacement Installation. Each union, each family, a new branch woven into the growing tapestry of Montreal’s population. By 1700, the population, fueled by these interlaced lives, had swelled to nearly 20,000, a testament to the enduring human spirit. The Entrelacement, in its modern form, echoes these early unions. It symbolizes the complexities, the challenges, and the enduring strength of a city built on interwoven lives. The box beds, symbols of intimacy and warmth, echo the havens created by these pioneer couples. Havens where love blossomed, children were born, and ultimately, where lives came to rest. The Entrelacement Installation isn’t just about interwoven branches or tangled threads. It’s about the interwoven lives that formed the very foundation of this city. It’s a reminder that Montreal, like the artwork before us, is a complex, beautiful, and ever-evolving tapestry.