Alexandre David
D’une place à une autre

Entering the subterranean Galerie de l’Université de Montréal, the visitor’s journey was halted by a tall wooden platform. The monumental installation by artist Alexandre David filled the entire space with the warm honey tones of plywood. From the front of the gallery, the platform’s floor sloped gently downward, completely transforming the gallery’s ground plane and elevation.

The piece, titled L’endroit (2024), was custom built by David on site, a practice that he has honed over more than thirty years. He is well recognized for his wood and plywood sculptural installations, and this three-part retrospective exhibition celebrated his iconic forms and materials. Curated by Laurent Vernet, D’une place à une autre introduced three new installations being shown simultaneously in Montréal and Québec City, each adapted to its location, and featuring key concepts that David has returned to over the years. Whereas L’endroit took the shape of a gradual downward slope, Les pentes (2024) at Université Laval, in Québec City, was in the form of a softly curving U, like a shallow half-pipe. Only two of the four sides met the walls of the gallery, leaving the platform’s edges visible and allowing for circumnavigation. Finally, L’avant (2024), at Criterium, also in Québec City, was a stepped installation that transforms the small storefront gallery into a mezzanine space with seating on three sides. Here, the wooden scaffold supporting the plywood installation was revealed, as visitors entered beneath the platform and made their way upward to the new intermediate level.