Inauguration of the Centre’s New Art Venue With Photo Exhibition About New Delhi’s Recycling Industry
Montreal, July 10, 2012 – From July 17 to August 12, 2012, the Centre for Sustainable Development launches its new art venue, the Atrium, with the exhibition L’industrie du recyclage à Delhi by the photojournalist François Pesant.
Given that culture is an important aspect of sustainable development and given that art constitutes a universal public awareness tool, the Centre’s Atrium means to become a major venue for socially engaged art exhibitions. With its downtown location in the heart of the Quartier des spectacles, this new 1700-square-feet venue will host a plethora of activities open to the public all year long.
“François Pesant’s photography exhibition, with its focus on human rights and environmental issues, more specifically concerned with environmental justice and the impact of the deterioration of the environment on human populations, perfectly tallies with the Centre’s mission and seemed to us the perfect fit for launching our new socially engaged art venue,” underscores Robert Perreault, executive director of the Centre for Sustainable Development.
In Delhi, India, more than 170 000 people live alongside the 8500 tons of waste produced daily by the megalopolis, which offers no decent garbage collection or recycling program. Through the exhibition L’industrie du recyclage à Delhi, the artist paints a portrait of the reality of the forgotten citizens of the city.
“These workers labour in unacceptable, unsanitary conditions and are subjected to constant harassment from the police for their ‘illegal’ waste collecting, yet Delhi saves more than 260 million rupees a year thanks to their work. They provide raw material for an industry worth tens of millions of dollars,” denounces the artist, who spent two months with them in 2010.
This photography project has received many awards, including the Prix Antoine-Desilets 2010, the Grand Prix Lux 2011 and an honourable mention at the Canadian Magazine Awards. It was also selected at the International festival of photojournalism Visa pour l’image.
Silent auction
A silent auction will take place during the exhibition. Half of the profits will finance the artist’s future projects. The other half will help fund the Centre for Sustainable Development’s new art venue.
Grand opening
The grand opening of the exhibition will take place on July 17th at 5 p.m. The Centre wishes to thank the programming’s main sponsor, Alcoa, as well as its three partners for this activity: Journal Métro, Moog Audio and Direct Terroir, who will be serving Singha, a fair trade beer from Thailand, as well as fair trade cocktails made with Goji liqor and quinoa vodka produced by Tibetan and Bolivian cooperatives. Please RSVP at comm@lamdd.org.
The exhibition is open to the public free of charge from July 18 to August 12, 2012, between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.
To consult the Centre for Sustainable Development’s complete program, including its workshops, activities and picnics: www.lamdd.org.
The Centre for Sustainable Development
Eight socially and environmentally minded organizations, Amnistie internationale, The Petit Réseau daycare centre, the Conseil régional de l’environnement de Montréal, ENvironnement JEUnesse, Equiterre, Option consommateurs, the Regroupement national des conseils régionaux de l’environnement du Québec and Vivre en Ville have united to create the Centre for Sustainable Development, a green demonstration building whose mission is to inspire everyone from property developers to the general public in favour of sustainable development. The Centre aims to become the first commercial building to receive LEED Platinum Certification in an urban setting in Quebec.
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Images provided on request.
Contact:
Amélie Ferland, director of communications and programming
Centre for Sustainable Development
514-592-0847 / aferland@lamdd.org
François Pesant, photojournalist
514-978-0191 / pesantf@gmail.com