The experimental and ephemeral projects of Pierre Thibault and his Atelier are a key component of his architectural practice, from the most discreet installation in the landscape to multidisciplinary artistic performances. His exploration will continue from May 30 to September 28, 2015 at Les Jardins de Métis with an exhibition Les Chambres blanches / The White Rooms where his latest work will be on view.
The exhibition will have two facets. In Estevan Lodge, a series of white rooms will show components of the work of Atelier Pierre Thibault. This portion of the exhibition will present the creative process of Pierre Thibault and his team of young architects. The white rooms invite visitors to discover the elements of the exhibition from various vantage points. For example, one room will require viewers to slide beneath it to view a model suspended from above. A large room will exhibit the sketch books at eye level while another unit will allow visitors to climb up and view the exhibition from above. Cuts from director Denys Arcand’s Le règne de la beauté (An Eye for Beauty) filmed in several of Pierre Thibault’s houses, will be screened for the exhibition. Outside, the white rooms will be installed throughout the gardens, offering visitors new ways to explore the site. They will be poised in various places in the gardens that are less frequented and offer venues to see the different attractions of the landscape. A small white room posed on the shoreline, accessible only at low tide; another that pokes out from the side of the escarpment and a third that envelops a tree. While each one is different from the next, the white rooms are united by a common logic. They are all part of a family of installations that offer a discovery of the Metis and its landscapes as an integral part of a new pathway punctuated by discoveries. Presented with the financial assistance of the Entente spécifique sur la culture dans la région du Bas-Saint-Laurent 2012-2015, in collaboration with: Ministère de la Culture et des Communications, Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l’Occupation du territoire, Conférence régionale des élues du Bas-Saint-Laurent, Tourisme Gaspésie, Tourisme Bas-Saint-Laurent et Conseil de la culture du Bas-Saint-Laurent. About Pierre Thibault and his Workshop Since its creation in 1988, the Atelier Pierre Thibault, has shown its long-standing commitment to thinking about the interaction between humans and the territory they inhabit, whether natural or urban. Pierre Thibault introduces to the process of design the exceptional power of the changing seasons in Québec. This approach guides the atelier towards unique buildings, respectful of the environment and inserted into the landscapes of which they become part. Each one of his creations responds to the environment for it has been been designed. They foster a dialogue between building and the environment over time. A graduate of the Université Laval school of architecture in 1982, Pierre Thibault has often worked at Les Jardins de Métis and has shown his enthusiasm for this gardens on the banks of the St. Lawrence in many ways. He participated in the second edition of the International Garden Festival in 2001, creatingJardin territoire. He subsquently created an installation for Les Jardins de Métis for Floralies internationales de Québec in 2002 and extra-mural projects for the Festival, Les jardins mobiles in New Richmond in 2003 and Jardins M for the Place de la Dauversière in Old Montréal in 2013. Jardins M was installed on the Festival site in 2014. His workshop has won many awards for their built projects: from the Ordre des Architectes du Québec in 2011 for l’Abbaye Cistercienne de St-Jean-de-Matha; Prix du public, Prix intérieurs Ferdie, 2010 for La maison noire; Prix d’excellence from the Ordre des architectes du Québec, 2009 for La Grande Galerie; Prix d’excellence from the Ordre des architectes du Québec, 2003 for Jardin territoire; Prix d’excellence from the Ordre des architectes du Québec for the Espace chorégraphique de la Fondation Jean-Pierre Perreault, 2003. Readers and film-lovers can discover the work of architect Pierre Thibault in several books and films:Maisons paysage – Pierre Thibault architecte (Éditions La Presse, 2014) and Les maisons-nature de Pierre Thibault architecte (Éditions La Presse, 2010). Pierre Thibault’s work can been seen in documentaries by Émilie Baillargeon, L’Île aux oiseaux (2014), which can be viewed on La Fabrique culturelle of Télé-Québec, and by Anne-Marie Tougas, L’espace que j’ai vu… portrait de l’architecte Pierre Thibault (2007). Pierre Thibault’s houses feature prominently in the most recent feature film by Denys Arcand, Le règne de la beauté (An Eye for Beauty), released in 2014. http://www.pthibault.com About Les Jardins de Métis / Reford Gardens A National Historic Site and Québec heritage site, the Reford Gardens / Jardins de Métis are an obligatory stop for all those visiting eastern Québec. Cultural space and tourist destination for over 50 years, the Reford Gardens is one of the most popular attractions in the Gaspésie region, providing visitors with experiences for every sense. Located on the banks of the St. Lawrence and Mitis rivers, they were created between 1926 and 1958 by avid gardener and plant collector, Elsie Reford. Hydro-Québec has been the lead sponsor of the Reford Gardens since 1999. The gardens will be open every day from May 30 to September 27, 2015. Children 13 and under are admitted free of charge.