As of press time, downtown museums had reopened their doors and were working hard to offer rich and varied programming for their visitors and audiences. Here’s an overview.
Montréal centre-ville
Montréal centre-ville
Musée d’art contemporain de montréal
At the Musée d’art contemporain (MAC), the curators responsible for La machine qui enseignait des airs aux oiseaux, Mark Lanctôt and François LeTourneux, state that the exhibition, presented until April, is organized around the concept of “an interest in how language is inscribed in the body, in gestures, and its substance” and brings together over 30 artists and contributors from Montreal and surrounding areas. The exhibition dates for the three-channel video installation Vertigo Seaby John Akomfrah, as well as those for Horizons d’attente, highlighting works recently acquired by the MAC, may possibly be extended.
McCord museum
The McCord Museum will reopen with its continuing major show on Christian Dior, exploring the genius behind the spectacular creations that breathed new life into Parisian haute couture after the devastation brought by the Second World War. Add March 24 and May 5 to your calendar to participate for free in the “City Talks” lecture series on Zoom, where you can discuss specific themes related to urbanism and city life. You should also reserve a space if you would like to watch two episodes of the “McCord Discoveries” series of courses online, in which museum experts reveal the research projects they’re most passionate about.
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
Upon its reopening and continuing until May, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) will present a major exhibition titled Riopelle: The Call of Northern Landscapes and Indigenous Cultures, which will explore Jean Paul Riopelle’s interest in the North and Indigenous Peoples through 150 works, artifacts, and archival documents. In the spring, the MMFA will also spotlight two contemporary Montreal artists: Yann Pocreau, whose interest in cosmology has been the focus of his recent photographic explorations, and Caroline Monnet, whose work sensitively exposes the precarity of Indigenous communities living in Canada.
Place des Arts online
Until it is able to welcome audiences in person, Place des Arts is offering a variety of content (shows, events, interviews, etc.) through its broadcasting platform. What’s more, the centre is providing access to https://placedesarts.com/fr by Frances McKenzie and Milutin Gubash. It will be possible to view these works virtually on Place des Arts’s website during the spring and in person when visits are once again allowed by public health authorities.
