2023-06-04 19:28:27
MONTREAL — In addition to sprucing up certain places, public art can now help improve air quality. Ville de Laval recently inaugurated a mural made with depolluting paint, a first in Quebec.
“Determined to create a greener tomorrow. Laval, An exceptional island”, can we read on the Pont-Viau drinking water station, located very close to the Cartier metro station.
A phrase that sets the tone for the colorful mural that promotes positive civic actions for the environment, such as cycling, walking, public transit, planting trees and local food.
And without you even realizing it, the work of Laval artist Aless MC absorbs carbon dioxide. The mural was made with more than 100 liters of Graphenstone paint, the particularity of which is its ability to absorb carbon dioxide while it dries.
According to the manufacturer, three 15-litre containers of paint absorb just over 10 kg of CO2, which is the same amount that a 250-kilo tree eliminates in one year.
In doing so, the mural is carbon neutral since it has absorbed at least the equivalent of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that were produced during its construction.
For the artist, working with “ecological” paint was a first.
Due to certain properties of this material, the choice of colors was rather limited, which was the main challenge in the realization of the mural. “The hues were less saturated and the palette was more limited, comments Aless MC. I had to combine the colors of Ville de Laval with those offered in the ecological paint line, but I’m happy with the result. I find that it gives a somewhat vintage look to the mural.”
If sketching the work took several months, its realization took two weeks.
Aless MC is very proud of this project which, occupying an area of just over 1500 square feet (nearly 140 square meters), is its most imposing offering.
“And what I really like is that it’s one of the first things you notice when you get out of the Cartier metro. It makes the link with the objective of the mural,” she confides.
Give the example
The mural is an integral part of Laval’s climate strategy, adopted by the municipality last March and which includes some 374 actions and investments of $276 million.
“The mural is part of a larger approach by the City. As it is seen, it will be appreciated, it is a symbol, an instrument of communication”, explains Pierre-Alain Benoît, general manager of the organization MURAL, which coordinated the project.
Both the City and the organization hope that the initiative will inspire citizens to do their part for the environment by reducing their ecological footprint.
“What we have illustrated with this mural is that there are a multitude of ways for our citizens, organizations and businesses to reduce their GHG emissions. Whether by opting for more ecological modes of transport, such as walking, cycling or public transport, by contributing to the greening of their neighborhood or by consuming locally, we can all contribute to reducing our collective footprint. argue in a press release the councilor of Laval-des-Rapides Alexandre Warnet, also responsible for the environment, ecological transition and the climate emergency in the third largest city in Quebec.
“Art can be a powerful means of raising awareness and mobilizing, and this mural is a tangible example. Together, we encourage creative and sustainable initiatives that contribute to building a greener and more inspiring future,” underlines Mr. Benoît.
———
This dispatch was produced with financial assistance from the Meta Exchange and The Canadian Press for News.
1685907419
#Laval #inaugurates #mural #depolluting #properties