When your life path is based in part on sharing your love of art, this passion radiates to you completely. All art lovers who have crossed paths with François Rochon will tell you that. With his intense blue eyes, he communicates with simplicity and enthusiasm his happiness to surround himself with art and to be able to show the works he cherishes.
A determined man, François Rochon changed his professional destiny and abandoned electrical engineering in the 1990s to give himself the means to buy exceptional contemporary art. Founding President of Giverny Capital — a portfolio management firm named after Claude Monet’s village, of course! – he entrusted Anne Roger, who worked at the former gallery of Antoine Ertaskiran, with the task of publicizing the works of the Giverny Foundation for Contemporary Art.
Manager of the Giverny Capital Collection — which includes 750 art objects — Anne Roger was given carte blanche to present some twenty works in the local Ateliers 3333. Paintings, sculptures, installations, photographs, drawings and videos that it describes you in detail during the visit. This makes it possible to fully grasp the languages of each work and to understand the underlying reasons for François Rochon’s irrepressible desire to acquire them.
Notably, Pulse Tank, by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer. The collector purchased this complex installation following the Montreal-Mexican artist’s exhibition at the Hishhorn in Washington in 2018-2019. It was the largest display of immersive art the American museum had ever shown. The three installed works (including Pulse Tank) had occupied the entire second floor of the Hishhorn. And there, you can quietly test this visual and sound work that aesthetically reproduces your heartbeat…
A large hall broadcasts The Erudition, by Albertan Kelly Richardson, based in London. Three large screens aligned, placed on the ground, project images of trees in a post-apocalyptic atmosphere. A unique presentation in Montreal for this spectacular and meditative work.
Another great pleasure of the visit is the installation Two Views, by Adad Hannah. One of his living paintings in which we recognize the touch of the Canadian artist. An installation that breaks down the decor created to film this woman reading a Kafka book without moving. A spectacular work that François Rochon acquired after his exhibition at the Toronto Fair.
You should also take the time to watch Observance, by Bill Viola. A moving video in which actors play people who have come to pay homage to a deceased. Very strong slow motion images. Next door, Witness, by the same American videographer, turns emotions from laughter to tears…
We emerge amazed by this excursion into the world of contemporary art in all that it has to offer in terms of diversity and talkativeness. It is also fascinating to take the time to look through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the space. The Metropolitan Highway runs along the industrial building transformed into artists’ studios by Marc Séguin. The environment is murky, noisy and polluted. Yet, seen from the windows, one becomes aware of being at the heart of a reality which, hopefully, will eventually disappear to make way for a healthier and more peaceful world. In any case, the works of François Rochon suggest it to us.
François Rochon visited Giverny, Normandy in 1990. Claude Monet and his gardens had moved him. He dreamed of building a “Giverny” in Quebec. Having a residence in Shefford, he wanted to establish a “sanctuary of beauty” there to exhibit his international works. This will be done soon. The construction of his dream museum is underway on an escarpment of the Montérégie hill, with a view of the valley of the Eastern Townships. The place, nicknamed The Observatory, and its garden of large sculptures, will be inaugurated next fall. Guided tours will be organized there. “And there will be water lilies!” said Francois Rochon.
In the meantime, to see works from the Giverny Foundation at 3333, boulevard Crémazie Est, reservations are required. Enjoy!
