The Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighborhood of Montreal, formerly the city of Maisonneuve, was at one time called the “Pittsburgh of Canada” because of its great industrial prosperity. The period of de-industrialization left behind poverty and unemployment like in many other cities but also an architectural legacy.

The collective Farine Orpheline decided to occupy the former Watson Foster & Co. wallpaper factory to create the project with artists and the neighborhood community. Transformed into a temporary autonomous zone the site was open to the public for a week.

Utopia

The visitor strolled around freely and let himself be devoured by diverse experiments trying to develop the imprints found within the factory, its surrounding and its history.

In the Boiler Room of the vacant factory, TéléUtopia was the center of operations for the video network that parasitized the building and linked the different centers of activity with each other.

TéléUtopia manifesto

Video 15 minutes.

Project Details

This interdisciplinary event merging architecture, design, media art, music and performance was created during a five months occupation of the vacant Watson Foster & Co wallpaper factory and proposes the enhancement of a derelict industrial site in East Montréal. A production of the collective Farine Orpheline. Concept: Pierre-André Vézina, Pierre Gaudreault.

  • A Farine Orpheline project
  • artist-in-residence
  • Camera
  • Field Research
  • Interviews
  • Media Art Tools
  • Performance
  • Photography
  • Site-Specific
  • Time-Based Art
  • Video