Photography by Jules Beauchamp-Desbiens
Commissioned by the City of Montréal, and located at the core of the International Civil Aviation Organization Plaza (ICAO), ‘Dendrites’ is the newest public sculpture by local artist Michel de Broin.
Extending across both sides of Notre-Dame Street in the downtown core, ‘Dendrites’ is comprised of two sculptural stairways made from weathered steel and galvanized steel stairs.
Photo by Michel de Broin. Dendrites, 2017. Courtesy of the Artist.
The word dendrite refers to the branched projections of a neuron, which propagate cerebral stimulation, however the term is derived from the Greek Dendron, which is also the word for tree.
Drawing inspiration from the neuron structure, the sculpture appears like massive tree trunks with their network of branches spreading out towards the surrounding cityscape.
Photo by Michel de Broin. Dendrites, 2017. Courtesy of the Artist.
By constructing the sculpture from weathering steel, the piece takes on the ochre color of the tree trunks it references, while simultaneously alluding to the industrial past of the central urban site and its iron infrastructure.
