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Tricot St-Lau
In the space between creative expression and social engagement, the Tricot St-Lau project has returned for a second consecutive year. For five weeks in the spring of 2024, the MUMAQ invited students from Cégep Saint-Laurent to knit as a form of protest against the proliferation of fast-fashion consumerism. Artists and artisans from across Montréal stopped by to teach and inspire.
During these knitting sessions, participants produced hundreds of small granny squares. These were then assembled by knit graffiti artist Karine Fournier and used to fully cover two chairs in the museum’s permanent exhibition.
Why?
We wanted to prompt a new reflection on the objects chosen.
How do we imagine something we can’t see? The Museum’s collection of objects, thanks to this project, are presented in a new light. The initial masterpiece becomes a collective one.
Artist and photographer Léa Richard was by our side to capture snapshots of the entire experience.
Karine Fournier – Tricot Pirate
Karine Fournier is the knit graffiti artist who guided our student sessions.
Rooted in informal art, soft sculpture, and process art, Karine uses textile in public spaces as a way to interrupt the predictability of everyday life. She’s been practicing her knit art in community settings since 2010.
A member of the Ministère de l’Éducation’s La culture à l’école program, Karine animates thematic workshops in both primary and secondary schools. She also works with retirees in the context of intergenerational co-creation projects.
Léa Richard – Photographer
In 2020, the pandemic prompted Léa Richard to rethink everything she thought she knew.
She began reflecting on her lifestyle, her ongoing projects, and which direction she was heading in next. Out of these reflections came two conclusions: firstly, a desire to discover her dream city, Montréal; and secondly, a need to reinvent her professional life. Enrolling in a photography program at CFP Verdun turned out to be the solution for achieving both of her goals.
Always on the move, constantly exploring, Léa found a new creative outlet in photography and mixed media arts.
The Tricot Saint-Lau vernissage took place May 5th 2024.
