‘Art in motion’: local artists give Bixi bikes a summer makeover

Some of Montréal’s Bixi bikes are getting a summer makeover as local artists have painted the bikes to create “Art in Motion.”

Bixi wants to catch your eye and pique your interest and they have good reason to do this: increase ridership.

Bixi and Loto-Quebec hired local artists to beautify a selection of bikes.

“They are really nice looking and I think it’s fun because art becomes accessible,” said Marie-Claudel Lalonde, who oversees the Loto-Quebec art collection.

Now that the weather is nice, Bixi records 75,000 rides a day, with hand-painted bikes getting rented twice as much.

Pierre-Luc Marier, who is responsible for growth at Bixi, said riders will post pictures, which promotes the bike-share organization.

“They will take pictures with them and they will share those pictures online and share the love of the city, the love of the art,” Marier said.

The spokesperson for the project is musician, artist and performer Pierre Lapointe, who says art should be everywhere.

“I’m always working with artists in visual arts and theatre and music, in architecture and design,” he said.

Contributing artist Gabor Bata usually paints on flat surfaces.

“I had to figure out every nook and cranny on this thing,” he joked, but adds that the shape of the bike frame inspired him to add hidden doodles and cartoonish characters “just to be as loud and as vibrant as possible when it’s zooming past everybody.”