Montreal Tango, Mural in Plateau-Mont-Royal, Montréal, Canada
Montreal Tango is a mural set into the north wall of a building on Rue Rivard, in the Plateau-Mont-Royal neighborhood of Montréal. It reproduces the full text of the poem Tango de Montréal by Gérald Godin, with each of the 327 characters shaped from fired clay bricks embedded directly into the wall.
The poem Tango de Montréal was written in 1983 by Gérald Godin, a poet and politician who represented the Mercier riding in the National Assembly. The mural was completed in 1999, following a public competition organized by the city of Montréal to bring art into everyday urban spaces.
The mural features a poem by Gérald Godin, who was known in Montréal both as a writer and as a politician. His name lives on in the neighborhood, since the nearby square also bears it.
The work is on Rue Rivard, facing a cultural center near Place Gérald-Godin, in an area with steady foot traffic. As an outdoor piece, it can be seen at any time and is best read from a few steps back to take in the full text.
The letters are carved in a style inspired by Roman inscriptions, giving the work the look of an ancient monument even though it sits on a busy city street. The dark mortar joints between the bricks frame each character clearly, making the poem readable from across the street.
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