Fictions, A Design Exhibition that Pays Tribute to Montréal

A design collective’s love letter to the city of Montréal.

Founded in 2018, the Canadian Creatives Collective (CCC) promotes Canadian design, fosters collaborations between Canadian designers, and also connects young creatives with prominent professionals around the world. The collective focuses on innovative, avant-garde projects. Fictions is one of them. Developed in a collaboration between CCC and curator, design specialist and architect Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte, Fictions is a virtual exhibition that pays tribute to the city of Montréal.

The show features the work of eight local designers and artists, comprising both established and up-and-coming creatives and studios: Atelier Zébulon Perron, Claste Collection, David Umemoto, Lambert & Fils, Loïc Bard, Pascale Girardin, SSSVLL, and Yannick Pouliot. Their work explores materiality and form as well as function in bold designs. Apart from sculptural chairs and cabinets, the show also features decorative objects that blur the lines between design and architecture. Set in an industrial space somewhere in Montréal, the exhibition references a post-apocalyptic environment where each design tells a story. The narrative unfolds as the viewer explores the designs.

Opened on April 22, 2021, Fictions invited viewers to take part in the virtual exhibition. To see the show, they could choose one of four camera angles: floor view, bird’s eye, detail, and overall view. The organizers also encouraged participants to return to the exhibition throughout the day. As the lighting changed, they could experience the designs differently. Fictions also featured imagery and video footage by Pierre-Alexandre Guay and Alex Lesage as well as an original soundtrack by composer Philippe Brault. An essay and user manual by writer Daniel Canty also accompanied the show. Fictions started on April 22 and ended on May 4, 2021. Those who want to purchase one of the designs can do so through the Adorno digital gallery. Photographs© Alex Lesage, CCC.