| Avant-garde design in landscape architecture has been promoted through the International Garden Festival at Grand-Metis, Quebec. This garden festival has become a prominent venue for showcasing new ideas, thought, and innovation within landscape architecture. Seen as a laboratory to test and push the boundaries, the Festival contributes to the reflection and renewal of the art of gardens, yet the instrumental value of this Festival is unknown. From a review of the literature on the avant-garde and its relationship to fine art and landscape architecture, a questionnaire was developed aimed at designers who have participated in the International Garden Festival. Four streams of inquiry were incorporated into the questionnaire: the avant-garde; terminology for festival garden design; influences of the International Garden Festival; and issues of concern towards garden festivals. The results were analyzed, with conclusions pointing to the importance and influence of the International Garden Festival within landscape architecture. |
