"Être conscient d'être créé implique participation. Ceci est le fondement de mon engagement. Tracer des lignes écho de la ligne, imprimer, bâtir, cultiver, soigner… méditer, éveiller, dire c'est créer. Toujours nous participons, nous communiquons, nous communions."
The Salon Doors, one of the largest sculptures in the National Arts Centre, are the creation of Montreal artist Jordi Bonet (1932 – 1979). Standing at a height of 6.5 metres, the cast aluminum doors each weigh two tonnes yet can be moved at the touch of a finger, making it quite the engineering feat. Bonet was commissioned to create the monumental work for the NAC’s Salon for the opening of the building, incorporating similar gothic details from buildings in the surrounding area, such as the Parliament Buildings and the Chateau Laurier. Bonet worked closely with the NAC’s architect, Fred Lebensold, to create an artwork that blended seamlessly with the aesthetic and function of the building.
Born in Barcelona, Spain, Bonet suffered an accident at age seven, forcing the amputation of his right arm. Encouraged by his father to pursue art and inspired by the architecture of Barcelona, Bonet eventually settled in Montreal where he studied ceramics at the Institut des Arts Appliqués and rapidly established himself within the city’s artistic community. Though he died young at the age of 47 from Leukemia, he had already installed major artworks in Montreal’s metro system and Place des Arts, and at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
