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Musée des beaux-arts opening Riopelle pavilion this October

The Espace Riopelle will house the world's largest public collection of the artist's works—about 100 pieces, including a 40-meter fresco.

· 2 min read · HOC Montréal Desk
Musée des beaux-arts opening Riopelle pavilion this October
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The Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec will open its new Espace Riopelle–Pavillon Michael Audain on October 21, showcasing the world's most significant public collection of Jean-Paul Riopelle's work.

The three-story pavilion, designed by Les Architectes FABG, will display roughly 100 works by the Québec artist, including his celebrated 40-meter fresco L'Hommage à Rosa Luxemburg, created in 1992. The building's official delivery came May 2 after two years of construction.

The pavilion is named for collector Michael Audain, who donated artworks valued at over $77 million and contributed additional funds totaling more than $90 million to the project. The provincial government invested $44 million of the pavilion's $84 million budget; the remainder came from other public and private sources.

Museum teams have spent months arranging and preparing the collection for public viewing. One detail remains unconfirmed: which premier or prime minister will cut the ribbon at the October 21 opening.