Montreal rings in `monumental' installation

A new art installation in Montreal comprising 23,000 kg of stainless steel is being hailed as an urban gathering place “worthy of one of the world's great metropolises.” Measuring 30 metres in diameter, The Ring will “visually link” the revitalized Esplanade PVM at Place Ville Marie to the rest of Quebec's largest city, its backers say. Created by global real estate leaders Ivanhoé Cambridge, the structure is set to be unveiled in June. Montrealers will be invited to a celebration on Esplanade PVM when the sculpture is illuminated for the first time later this year. The curved tube is the product of two years of collaboration by several teams of experts on design and architecture. Chantal Rouleau, minister responsible for the Montreal region, said the artwork would bring life back to the downtown after two bruising years of pandemic restrictions. “A monumental installation like The Ring will have the power to attract visitors and will crown all the efforts made over the past two years,” she said. Landscape architect Claude Cormier called it a “bold and lasting gesture” that will form part of an axis revealing 200 years of the city's history.