Montréal, May 2, 2013 — On Sunday, May 26, on the occasion of Montréal Museums Day (MMD), the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal will throw open its doors from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. to offer the public the opportunity to visit four exciting exhibitions titled A Matter of Abstraction, On Abstraction II: Remarks on Colour and the newly inaugurated exhibitions Michel de Broin and Eve Sussman. Also on the program: screenings of a film by artist Omer Fast, entitled Continuity, workshops for all, MAC educator/guides in the galleries, the chance to consult the MAC’s Media Centre and an ice cream parlour for some cool refreshments!

Michel de Broin

The first major Canadian museum exhibition devoted to this artist, Michel de Broin comprises some 30 works, nearly a third of them produced specially for this occasion. De Broin is a multidisciplinary artist who explores the notions of resistance, appropriation and recycling with a cynical sense of humour. His works often blur the distinctions between preparatory models, sculpture, video, actions and photographic documentation. These overlaps notwithstanding, de Broin maintains a certain level of consistency: in his hands, everyday objects such as garbage containers, bathroom sinks, staircases, power tools, empty water bottles and streetlights tend to either become somewhat aggressive, collapse onto themselves or even display a certain vulnerability. 

Eve Sussman • Rufus Corporation

Bringing together a series of interrelated films and videos, photographs and installations developed on numerous journeys through Russia and Central Asia, this exhibition revolves around the film installation whiteonwhite: algorithmicnoir. The work draws on the radial abstractions and reflections on transcendence of Kasimir Malevich, and the fate of Russian astronaut Yuri Gagarin, seen through the lens of science fiction and film noir cinematography. This is the first solo exhibition in Canada of Brooklyn-based artist Eve Sussman and her collaborative team Rufus Corporation. 

A Matter of Abstraction

Visitors to the MAC will also be invited to experience a personal encounter with the artists and artistic movements that have defined the development of abstraction since the 1940s in Québec and across Canada. The exhibition A Matter of Abstraction provides a broad overview of the period from 1940 to 2010, in a display of 110 pieces produced by sixty artists. Following a chronological and thematic approach, the exhibition showcases key works from the museum’s Permanent Collection, which today form a priceless public heritage. 

On Abstraction II: Remarks on Colour

Colour, that fundamental element, lies at the heart of this second presentation in the series On Abstraction. Saturated, opaque or transparent, linear, dense or immaterial, it is an intrinsic characteristic of each of the pieces in the show. On Abstraction II features sixteen works produced between 1967 and 2010 by artists such as Nicolas Baier, Roland Poulin, Pierre Dorion, Jack Bush, Ron Martin, Gary Hill, Alfredo Jaar and Pieter Laurens Mol.

Table’s Laid! workshop

Starting at 1 p.m., the MAC will offer Table’s Laid!, an art workshop for all, to be enjoyed with family or friends. Taking inspiration from Michel de Broin’s sculptures composed of multiple, identical tables, participants will make unusual three-dimensional assemblages out of paper that will remind them of their most intrepid houses of cards! Special schedule for MMD: 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Ice cream parlour

To offer visitors a well-earned break, Bilboquet ice creams and sherbets will be on sale at the museum. Ice cream lovers can choose from a range of popular, delectable flavours. ($)

Shuttle bus service

For the third consecutive year, the shuttle buses for Montréal Museums Day will depart from the Quartier des Spectacles⎯specifically, the Promenade des Artistes, just next to the MAC. They will start running to their various destinations at 9 a.m. But before hopping on board, be sure to make the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal your first stop! 

Source and Information

Anne Dongois
T. 514 826-2050
[email protected]