mémoire sculpture
Twelve steel panels reclaimed from the original Champlain Bridge come together to form its silhouette. Between disappearance and permanence, the bridge finds a new presence in the landscape.
Conceived by James Kennedy in 2019, when the dismantling of the original Champlain Bridge was announced, Mémoire grew from a desire to preserve part of Montréal's collective memory through the steel of its former bridge. Building on his International Bridges series, the project brings his ongoing exploration of steel, memory and territory, begun in 2008, into public space.
For nearly sixty years, the steel of the Champlain Bridge was part of Montréal's landscape. With Mémoire, five tonnes of this historic steel find a new purpose in public space.
By preserving the rivets and structural connections and restoring the bridge's original colour, the sculpture brings together industrial heritage, material reuse and sustainable art.
From a specific vantage point, the twelve panels recreate the bridge's silhouette as seen from the shore. As visitors move, the image breaks apart into abstraction, recalling the bridge's own dismantling.
Visitors can walk between the panels and touch the steel of the original Champlain Bridge, creating a direct, physical connection with Montréal's history.
Renderings and scale model
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts in the creation of the 3D-printed scale model.
a legacy in steel
In 2023, Radio-Canada featured Mémoire in a report broadcast on Le Téléjournal, RDI and online.
That same year, the U.S. magazine Modern Steel Construction and AQPI's newsletter featured the project. In 2024, the artist presented it at Montréal's 24 Hours of Science.
- artwork
- Sculpture comprising 12 staggered, openwork vertical steel panels
- material
- Historic structural steel from the main members of the original Champlain Bridge · 5 tonnes
- dimensions
- Panels: 2,845 × 526 × 116 mm (H × W × thickness) · Footprint: 2,000 × 6,000 mm
- technical research
- Assessment of reclaimed steel, surface-treatment tests and optimization of the perforations for different viewing angles
- design
- 3D modelling, development of perforation techniques and 3D printing of a scale model
- engineering
- Structural engineering, connections, anchoring systems and foundations to be adapted to the installation site
- origin
- Champlain Bridge materials reuse competition organized by The Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI) · Submitted in 2021, selected in 2023
- status
- Ready for production · Open to partnerships and potential installation sites
- years
- 2019–present
- artist and design
- James Kennedy
- support
- Canada Council for the Arts · Technical research and 3D-printed scale model
- photography
- James Kennedy · Radio-Canada
living memory
Once the sculpture is installed, the voices of those who knew the bridge—workers, commuters and residents—will extend the experience beyond the steel itself.
An on-site QR code will provide access to their interviews.
ready for production
As a winner of the 2023 Champlain Bridge materials reuse competition, the artist was able to acquire the steel needed for Mémoire at a reduced cost. The competition focused on material reuse rather than funding the artwork.
Initiated by the artist, with support from the Canada Council for the Arts for research and the creation of a scale model, the project has completed its main technical preparation stages: steel acquired, transported and cut; fabrication drawings prepared; structural calculations completed; and suppliers identified.
Next steps — installation site · funding · fabrication