Standing 14 storeys high, the Hotel Germain building has been sticking out lately.
Coloured in bright baby blues, punchy yellows and black and white zebra stripe accents, the building has been transformed into a canvas for Canadian artist Michelle Hoogveld.
“As soon as I saw it, I had to jump on it,” Hoogveld said.
“The architecture with all the windows — it was such a neat canvas to bring something so beautiful to Montreal.”
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The building is part of the annual Mural Festival in Montreal.
Hoogveld has been working tirelessly to bring her unique vison to life, painting the 171-foot-tall building’s façade and side.
Using mostly spray paint and tape, Hoogveld’s contemporary vibrant style uses sharp geometric shapes and bright colours.
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The grand piece is called “Dazzle My Heart” and Hoogveld says her work explores the resonance people have to colour and the ability to evoke feelings of happiness, joy and genuine connection.
Something many people don’t see, according to Hoogveld, is the geometric heart shape at the centre of the mural.
“I really wanted to feature that, as this beautiful reminder that we are all connected,” Hoogveld said.
“These variants of colour and differences come together in this formation of love.”
While the patterns may look eclectic and wild, mapping the surface of the building was quite a mathematical feat, Hoogveld said.
Each individual window on the building is wrapped in a different shade.
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In total, Hoogveld says some 75 different colours are used in this one piece — and she jokingly adds, millions of gallons of paint.
The jaw-dropping mural took a month to create and is still not finished.
While most of the front-facing façade is complete, Hoogveld and her team of two others still have to tackle the side of the building.
The mural will be ready for display for the kick off of Mural Fest, which starts Aug. 12 and runs till Aug. 22.
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