By settling in New France, Marguerite Bourgeoys, founder of the Congregation of Notre-Dame, enabled the establishment of the Pointe-St-Charles Farm. This model farm was not only dedicated to meeting the needs of the congregation but also to the education of the new members of the French colony. Today, the gardens of this historical site are still cultivated according to tradition and are both a horticultural and arboreal museum.
gsmprjct° had to be mindful of tradition, history, and culture during its mandate to create signage sculptures in the des Métayères gardens that would maintain their aesthetic appeal throughout the seasons. Finding the concept’s soul in Québécois writer René Bazin’s poetic vision of agricultural work, gsmprjct° developed four signage sites in the gardens, expressing their evolution. Inspired by the scenic beauty of the surroundings, interpretation panels for the gardens and the Maison St-Gabriel were installed, taking the shape of blades protruding from the ground to create the illusion that the earth was rising toward the sky. Further on, birds shimmering in the light perch on a sculpture illustrating their trajectory when they land and recall the presence of passenger pigeons, in the past a ubiquitous presence in the fields of the colony. In the garden, a sculpture reminiscent of a body bent toward the earth pays tribute to the métayères and is accompanied by a sign bearing the names of the Sisters. Finally, several interpretation panels are scattered along the path, inviting visitors to discover the various arboreal and horticultural traditions of the métayères.