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PARC INDUSTRIEL (Industrial Park) (2001)
ATSA sets up shop at the corner of Sherbrooke and Clark streets, a stone’s throw from the patrimonial jewel that is the Notman House, and offers Parc Industriel : quand l’homme se reproduisait encore par lui-même (Industrial Park: when man still reproduced on his own). Resembling a mock archaeological tourist attraction made of waste, the park shoots us forward to the year 3541 A.D. to discover a fallen civilization that turns out to be ours. The Sherbooke St. installation, and more particularly its Great Arch made of 35 tonnes of compressed recycled scrap metal and paper, acts as a gateway to time travel. Eleven intervention islands are each accompanied by a museum-like text explaining the lifestyle of that irresponsible race of inhabitants, eloquently and incisively demonstrating the hypocrisy and myopia of our hyperconsumerist society. The artists not only give back to the site of a former Greek Orthodox church its contemplative and reflective vocation, but also—and this is quite dear to ATSA—create a setting where citizens can discover their political clout and take a position through their taking possession. The site hosts presentations by experts who tackle a range of topics, including GMOs, green transportation and the state of potable water, as well as numerous appearances by engaged artists
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