Public Art Meets Wilderness

At the confluence of design, nature, and poetic contemplation, "Faire le vide" — a sculptural installation on a remote island in Quebec’s Poisson Blanc Regional Park — redefines public art as a meditative wilderness experience. Conceived by artist-architect Luca Fortin in collaboration with Atelier mock/up, the wooden structure stands as the first in a series of cultural interventions planned across the park’s islands. It seeks not only to enrich the visual landscape but to offer visitors a quiet, introspective encounter with art in the wild.

Photo credit: Maryse Béland

Photo credit: Maryse Béland

Photo credit: Maryse Béland

Set on Island No. 22, the artwork is accessible only by canoe or kayak. From a distance, the structure appears as a minimal wooden cube — its restrained, monolithic form rising subtly from the landscape. Yet this stoic exterior gives way to a surprisingly fluid and intricate interior, designed to invoke wonder and reflection. The juxtaposition between the angular shell and the organic chamber within invites visitors to slow down, listen, and look anew at their surroundings.

Photo credit: Maryse Béland

Photo credit: Maryse Béland

Photo credit: Maryse Béland

The installation’s design is deeply responsive to its environment. Prefabricated entirely off-site and transported by hand, "Faire le vide" was assembled without heavy machinery to preserve the pristine landscape. Its laminated cedar form, CNC-milled for precision, reflects both technical prowess and a sensitivity to craftsmanship. On the outside, vertical slats echo the surrounding forest; inside, swirling tool marks left by the milling process evoke natural patterns — ripples of wind on water, or the veins of a rock face.

Photo credit: Maryse Béland

Photo credit: Karma Photographie

Photo credit: Irvin Burel

This blending of digital fabrication and traditional material creates a tactile, immersive experience. The structure doesn’t impose itself on the landscape but rather becomes a part of it, in both form and spirit. The term "faire le vide" — French for “emptying out” or “making space” — aptly captures the installation’s ethos. It serves as a space for pause, contemplation, and a deeper engagement with nature.

Photo credit: Behind Creation

Photo credit: Maryse Béland

Photo credit: Maryse Béland

"Faire le vide" invites visitors to reconsider the boundaries between art, architecture, and landscape. In doing so, it reminds us that stillness, solitude, and craftsmanship can shape a transformative encounter — one where the remote becomes intimate, and the natural world is not just observed, but deeply felt.

Luca Fortin

Luca Fortin lives and works in Quebec City. As an artist and architect, he weaves together matter and memory, space and narrative. Recipient of the Henry Adams Medal of Honor from the American Institute of Architects, his work has been presented in China and India, as well as in several solo and group exhibitions in Quebec. His works are part of several public and private collections, including those of Loto-Québec, Desjardins, and Méduse.

atelier mock/up

Located in the heart of Quebec City's industrial district, mock/up is a parametric design and digital fabrication studio that pushes the boundaries of architecture and design. Their office space, adjacent to their workshop studio and warehouse, embodies their integrated approach, where knowledge and know-how meet. mock/up's approach is based on a synergy between design, research, and manufacturing, enabling them to transform the most singular concepts into concrete realizations. Their aim is to explore new ways of designing, and to make unique ideas a reality by collaborating with architects and designers, cultural and academic institutions, artists and private enterprise.