A car rental dealership in the South Shore town of Châteauguay is the newest location for a contemporary art gallery featuring a well-known international artist.
Dazzling, eye-catching oil paintings and thought-provoking sculptures now hang in the Enterprise Rent-A-Car store off St-Jean Boulevard.
For a little over a week, international artist Detlef Gotzens has transformed the small space used as a waiting room into a colourful art gallery.
“You would not bring these two things together. In most people’s minds they are quite alien,” Gotzens said.
“We didn’t know this was going to work but we realized, in my art, I juxtapose many odd things. In many ways, metaphorically speaking, this is the same thing.”
The idea for sharing the business space came out of necessity and an opening to fill a void in the Enterprise building, Julius Zavodni, owner of Enterprise Châteauguay, said.
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“It’s a wonderful opportunity to share the space with as many people as possible,” Zavodni said.
The space was originally planned for another type of business but because of the COVID-19 crisis, the venture never materialized
Zavodni and Gotzens are friends and decided to be partners, agreeing the small, white walls would be the perfect backdrop for art.
The striking pieces are a pleasant surprise for many clients who are caught off guard.
“Art is an international language. Twenty people with different nationalities can be in the same room and everybody can speak the same language through the art,” Zavodni said.
Gotzens says he has witnessed on several occasions, clients and even workers at the car rental store take a minute out of their day to examine the art and focus on the painting.
“We are living way too fast in so many ways and art will slow you down and bring you back to your ground, ” Gotzens said.
“Life presents you with opportunities that form new ideas and new ways,” Gotzens said.
Specializing in the restoration and conservation of historic stained glass, Gotzens has a long career in the arts.
The most prominent project was the restoration of the Peace Tower windows on Parliament Hill in 2001.
He has participated in many group and solo shows in Canada and the U.S. as well as in Europe, especially in his native country of Germany.
Gotzens and Zavodni say they have grand plans for the space.
“We are always rotating the artwork. We might do events to bring in people and to fuse the space into people’s mind that this is a car rental business but also a cultural entity,” Gotzen said.
Gotzen says his artwork will always be on display for people to see and looks forward to speaking to residents of Châateauguay about it.
The art is for sale but Gotzens says that is not the ultimate purpose behind this venture.
He will be onsite on Wednesdays and Fridays from noon to 5 p.m.
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