Michel Goulet
Canada
Bio
A Québec artist known for his sculptures across Canada and the world, Michel Goulet (b. 1944) uses traditional sculptural techniques to create installations based on recognizable everyday objects that encourage public participation.
By assembling utilitarian items in a special setting, Goulet challenges the viewer to re-examine the essence of these objects.
In 1988, Goulet represented Canada at the Venice Biennale, alongside fellow artist Roland Brener. Two years later, he became the first Canadian artist invited by New York City’s Public Art Fund to exhibit at the Doris C. Freedman Plaza. He has also received many awards, including Quebec’s Prix Paul-Émile-Borduas in 1990 and the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts in 2008.
In 2013, the City of Vancouver proclaimed Michel Goulet Day on April 16, in recognition of the artist’s significant artistic contribution to the city and the donation of his public art installation titled Echoes—a series of inscribed chairs located at Kitsilano Beach—in partnership with the Vancouver Biennale. In May of that year, he received the Order of Canada for his transformative work as a sculptor, conceptual artist, and educator—he was professor of art and sculpture at the University of Ottawa from 1976 to 1986 and at the Université du Québec à Montréal from 1987 to 2004—as well as his creation of highly influential installations that bring art into urban public spaces.
In addition to the more than 60 permanently installed artworks on public display in cities across Canada and Europe, Goulet has also designed major stage sets for theatre and opera.
