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BIBITTE OF LOVE

Exhibition of Pierre D’Amours

March 23, 2023 — May 31, 2023

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At the start of each year, according to a ritual reactivated for 7 years, Pierre D'Amours - fishing guide, trapper, storyteller, self-taught artist and native of the region - installs, on the ice of the Matapédia River, a sculpture made from tree trunks, branches and added elements, evoking an oversized insect. The appearance of this giant Bibitte in the landscape, then its fall following the melting of snow and ice, represents for citizens a festive moment of the year: the arrival of spring and their reconnection with their rivers. Thus, over the years it has become the symbol of this pivotal moment in the life of the village.

 

The event benefits a cause because La Bibitte is not just an annual ephemeral art installation. Above all, it was designed by the D’Amours family as a lever to support certain charitable actions in the sector aimed at the well-being of children. To do this, in various businesses and institutions in the village, the population is invited to bet on the day La Bibitte leaves for the sea. The funds raised are shared between the winners and a social mission carried out by a non-profit organization. . It is Petit Chamonix, a local ski resort, which was chosen in 2023 to offer activities for children.

 

This Bibitte, just like the remarkable involvement of Pierre D’Amours and his family in this project which is both promising and unifying for the community, is being celebrated in grand style at Matapédia Station – artistic and community hub. Part of popular culture, based on the observation of nature which integrates a form of regeneration and respect for the environment, the Bibitte D'Amours demonstrates how art and play can be dynamic vectors which bind the population together. for the benefit of the most disadvantaged. The Bibitte D'Amours exhibition at Matapedia Station – artistic and community hub, from March 23 to May 31, 2023, presents images of the different editions, comments and a making of the current edition by naakita f.k., current artist in residence. Bid in large numbers to support Bibitte D’Amours at a cost of $10 per date.

 

Matapédia Station – Artistic and community center aims to be both a new space dedicated to current art and a meeting place for the community. It offers a cross-residency program, exhibition spaces and cultural mediation activities with schools, community groups and citizens. Different activities including art workshops and guided tours are regularly scheduled.