Montréal, May 10, 2012 — On Sunday, May 27, 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 three exciting exhibitions titled A Matter of Abstraction, On Abstraction and the newly inaugurated exhibition Zoo. Also on the program: a work by Carsten Nicolai that uses new technology, called unidisplay, workshops for all, guided tours and the chance to consult the MAC’s Media Centre.

 Zoo

Zoo is an exhibition that is bound to spark debate on the highly topical question of the place accorded animals and nature in today’s universe. This summer show features works by twenty or so Québec, Canadian and international artists, including a new piece by David Altmejd produced specifically for this occasion, an installation by Trevor Gould created for the Musée Sculpture Garden and, in a major Canadian premiere, Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads: Gold by the dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. The exhibition opens with a cage by Mona Hatoum that prompts us to consider the treatment we inflict on animals. A visit to this show combines both the museum and zoo experiences as ways of apprehending and representing the world using collections, classification systems and display devices.

A Matter of Abstraction and On 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 will provide 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. Among the artists featured are Paul-Émile Borduas, Jean-Paul Riopelle, Jacques Hurtubise, Marcelle Ferron, Guido Molinari, Armand Vaillancourt, Françoise Sullivan, Peter Gnass, Henry Saxe, Roland Poulin and Richard Mill. The exhibition On Abstraction is more multidisciplinary and free-flowing. It presents a small selection of eight works that primarily involve installation, video and photography and it highlights the works of Christian Kiopini, Franz West, Anish Kapoor, Martha Townsend, Vik Muniz and Kelly Mark.

Animal Trickery workshop

Starting at 1 p.m., the MAC will offer art workshops for all, to be enjoyed with family or friends. In the workshop entitled Animal Trickery, planned in connection with the exhibition Zoo, participants will be able to experiment with many different combinations of dots, lines, textures, proportions and forms found in animal anatomy, prompting the creation of a novel collage that will give birth to some truly surprising hybrid creatures. Special schedule for MMD: 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Ice cream parlour

To tickle the taste buds as much as the artistic appetite, 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

This year again, the shuttle buses for Montréal Museums Day will depart from the Quartier des Spectacles¾specifically, 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]