Going Underground in Montréal. mtlmetroproject

Christopher Forsyth is a Canadian urban photographer, whose photography somehow gets us making associations with both our sight and hearing, the proof being how much his Montréal Metro Project - that goes by the hashtag #mlmetroproject on Instagram - touches the imagination of everyone who has seen his work on this well-known social medium. Which is exactly what Christopher Forsyth was hoping for with this project that he worked on for seven months, creating a detailed photographic documentation of the Montréal metro. One of those classic spaces incorrectly defined as non-places, where hundreds of thousands of people rush through every day, hardly noticing their surroundings, let alone the design beauty that can be found there.  
It is interesting to see how this photographic project is supported by that feeling of alienation, where you lose your sense of time and distance, even more disorienting when you travel underground from station to station and emerge without any urban landmarks to help you get your bearings. Landmarks that Christopher Forsyth gives us back in the architectural design of these metro stations. Indeed, this urban photographer exploits that disconnected feeling you get when you're in the tunnels and corridors that take you where you need to go, and he was happy to wander around underground and get lost to put the pieces together and to discover new treasures.
The metro line in Montréal has 68 stations and construction began in 1960. Lots of stations, lots of different architectural styles that Chris Forsyth helps us see - the little gems that are under the eyes of everyone, if we only knew how to look. To paraphrase Marcel Proust, you only need new eyes to discover new landscapes; and in this case, we are helped to see the beauty of the Montréal underground infrastructure architecture through the eyes of Forsyth. So, next time we travel on the underground in our own city, we'll be keeping an eye out for all the hidden beauties of the metro. 

Christiane Bürklein (@chrisbuerklein)

Christopher Forsyth
chrismforsyth.com
instagram.com/chrismforsyth