mENU EXTRA & DAN CLIMAN

Studio Giovanelli
Montreal, Summer 2025

From July 9 to 12, 2025, Studio Giovanelli was transformed into a temporary restaurant and immersive installation, created in collaboration with Menu Extra. Over four days, guests were invited into an environment where painting, design, and gastronomy converged.

The dining experience unfolded around a seasonal tasting menu - sea urchin, veal tenderloin, Jerusalem artichoke, chanterelle mushrooms, and melon - dishes that echoed the chromatic language of Climan’s work. Evening services featured eight courses with pairings, while midday on July 11 and 12 offered a six-course variation, equally accompanied by carefully chosen wines.

The setting played a central role. Studio Giovanelli, located in Hochelaga, became a stage for the collaboration, its whitewashed interior and vast industrial windows evoking motifs present in Climan’s paintings. These windows opened onto views of Montreal icons—the Olympic Stadium, Jacques Cartier Bridge, Molson Brewery, and Mount Royal—landmarks that often inform his visual vocabulary. As the sun set, the shifting colours of the sky blended with the palette of the artist, enriching each service with a chromatic atmosphere that echoed the canvases.

The project underscored a shared ambition: to expand the boundaries of Montreal’s cultural scene by crossing disciplines. For a brief moment, Studio Giovanelli acted as both a dining room and an exhibition space, where food and painting met to create an experience that was as ephemeral as it was memorable.

Photos by Alex Lesage