Montreal art celebrates Carey Price's record-breaking season

It's been quite a year for Montreal's hometown heroes and, this morning, even the public art was showing its support. 

The sculpture, Taichi Single Whip which presently lives in Square Victoria, was decked out in its own Habs jersey, donning the name and number of the team's record-breaking net minder, Carey Price. 

On Thursday night, Price won his 43rd game this year, breaking the Montreal Canadiens' single season record previously held jointly by Ken Dryden and Jacques Plante.​

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Just who is behind the sculpture's fandom remains a mystery, though its owner says the group approached him a few years ago when the figure was first decked out in the jersey.

"I met them and they are young guys and they're super sharp and they wanted to share the fever of hockey by doing a gesture," François Odermatt said in a telephone interview from New York City. 

"I think if it can help to promote art and make a mix with folk culture, I think it's great."

Odermatt, himself a Habs fan, couldn't recall the names of those art and sport aficionados, but said they have his support. 

The piece, which depicts a figure doing Tai Chi, represents a mix of sport and art in itself. 

The work is that of Taiwanese artist Ju Ming. His pieces have another public home in Montreal on de la Commune east of Place Jacques Cartier. 

Odermatt said he appreciates the sport-art intersection in his sculpture's clothed state, and the public interaction it provokes.

"I would be annoyed if it was not respectful. But in that case, it doesn't damage the work, so I'm happy," he said. 

"Maybe there will be more example of art mixed with spontaneous gestures of people [in the future]."