art fait son nid by caitlin mcdonagh. photo credit: pascal huot

l’Art fait son nid at Galeries de la Capitale!

Last Updated on December 24, 2023 by Pamela MacNaughtan

feature photo credit: Pascal Huot

L’Art fait son nid is coming to Galeries de la Capitale, and it is the perfect time to venture out into the suburbs of Québec City. We love us some ephemeral art installations!

What is Art fait con nid? It’s an ephemeral art installation spotlighting the beauty and poetry of the shape of an egg. Yes, it’s eggtastic ephemeral egg art, and it is popping up in Québec City for the first time this year!

And it starts today, 27 May 2021!

l'Art fait son nid  - Marie-Claude Marquis
art fait son nid photo credit pascal huot

Popping up in Gatineau and Montréal over the last four years, L’Art fait son nid is a nod to the art of painting on eggshell, an art form which has been found in Africa some 60,000 years ago, among Persians and Egyptians, and 1,100 years ago in what we now know as Ukraine, where the art of painting on eggshells became a tradition known as Pysanka.

Eggs are thought of as a symbol of eternal life and renewal, and over the years painted ceramic eggs have been found in burial sites and archaeological digs.

In recent years, festivals centred around the art of painting on eggshells have popped up around the world. The most notable being the Easter Egg Festival in Kyiv, which takes place during Orthodox Holy Week; Norwaz, Iranian New Year, which takes place on or around the spring equinox, and painted eggs are generally featured on the Haft-sin table along with a mirror, candles, goldfish, and coins; The Big Egg Hunt in London, New York, and Dublin.

l’art fait son nid artists

l'Art fait son nid, EZB - Photo credit: Pascal Huot
art fait son nid artist ezb photo credit pascal huot

Each year, over 20 artists participate in L’Art fait son nid, creating stunning imagery on 3 ft (90 cm) high eggs. This year, 12 eggs will be on display at Galeries de la Capitale in Québec City (12 in Gatineau, and 20 in Montréal), created by artists based across Canada, including two from Québec City.

here are the artists with painted eggs in québec City:

[click on the ? to see an artist’s Instagram profile]

Caitlyn McDonagh (Victoria, BC) ?

Dalkhafine (Paris/Montréal) ?

EZB (Québec, QC) ?

Félix Girard (Québec, QC) ?

Franco É (Montréal, QC) ?

Jason Wasserman (Montréal, QC) ?

Louis C Hébert (Montréal, QC)

LSNR (Montréal, QC) ?

Marie-Claude Marquis (Montréal, QC) ?

Marc Sirus (Montréal, QC) ?

Sergio Gutierrez (Montréal, QC)

Zilon (Montréal, QC)

see l’art fait son nid at galeries de la capitale

Galeries de la Capitale has been a destination in its own right for some time now in Québec City; home to Méga Parc and a mouth-watering food court (and a short walk from our favourite grocery store, Adonis), and now an exciting ephemeral art installation.

galeries de la capitale | 5401, boulevard de galeries | galeriesdelacapitale.com