The city of Quebec is transformed into an urban art canvas at the tenth annual PASSAGES INSOLITES

Quebec City has opened the tenth edition of the province’s largest public art event. PASSAGES INSOLITES takes place from June 22 through to October 9, 2023, and features the work of 40 acclaimed artists from Quebec and around the world.

The 2023 lineup is led by world-renowned artist Felice Varini and Swedish collective AnonyMouse. While Varini's large-scale work fuses with the iconic architecture of Place Royale, AnonyMouse presents miniature installations, demonstrating the year's theme of contrasting scales.

Spanning from the Old Port to Place Royale and Petit Champlain, the outdoor PASSAGE EXTÉRIEUR circuit will exhibit 18 public artworks, with the newly introduced Retro Circuit will pay homage to iconic works from the past with a photographic tribute. Meanwhile, the indoor PASSAGE INTÉRIEUR route is anchored at the 27 Rue Notre-Dame "epicentre," where five installations are placed within the historic Maison Hazeur on Place Royale.

On August 12, the PASSAGE MURAL will be unveiled at Îlot Fleurie, a renowned graffiti hotspot, with murals painted on the pillars of the Dufferin-Montmorency overpass. Collaboratively produced by Street Art In Action, Québec Nova Murale, and EXMURO, the project will stay in place beyond the main event to encourage broader public participation.

In an effort to diversify artist participation, Indigenous artists are represented with the participation of six Wendat artists and one Atikamekw artist. A performance by Andicha n'de Wendat, an all-women Wendat drum collective was featured in the opening ceremony on June 22, symbolizing Indigenous joy and reconciliation.

“This tenth-anniversary represents a turning point for EXMURO,” said Vincent Roy, Co-Executive and Artistic Director of EXMURO Arts Publics, in a statement. “First, it is an opportunity to celebrate what PASSAGES INSOLITES has accomplished over the last decade by reflecting on how the event has evolved over ten iterations. But it is also a chance to celebrate the many projects that lie ahead for us, and the event’s unlimited, and still untapped, creative potential.”

The event has been organized byEXMURO arts publics with the support of the Ville de Québec.