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There are many different ways to let art express itself, and it’s not always a matter of finding the appropriate museum or art gallery. I think the young generation from the Montreal design and art scenes understood that pretty clearly; that’s why a bunch of them created a collective called ART & DESIGN MONTREAL, dedicated to promote local creative minds on an international scale.
Read the full story to know more about two very exciting projects happening in Montreal at the moment.
Four people, four artists and designers who used to work for clients and creative agencies decided to create this unique opportunity to show Montrealers and tourists our own perspective on art and design. Their first creation is an hybrid event, an exhibition, cocktail party and after hour to represent the works of 123 Klan, Julien de Repentigny, Rita, Transitor, Francis Léveillé, Mélanie Baillairgé, Séripop, Christophe Collette, Jimmi Francoeur, Richard Bernardin, Roger Proulx and Varial. They’re photographers, illustrators, painters and designers coming from all kinds of backgrounds, and they were exhibited together at SAT on September 11th.
Now here’s what I find truly interesting: if you missed the event, you can still see several works of art exhibited at the W Hotel in Montreal. I think this is an excellent initiative; not only will the works be seen by thousands of international visitors from September to December, but there’s also something quite innovative about the idea of letting artists express themselves in a chic hotel. I believe that represents the spirit of art in the 21st century; art goes public, it doesn’t simply belong to cultural institutions – it can be found everywhere. If you’re staying at W Hotel, don’t miss this unique opportunity to discover local talent, and even if you live here, you can have a drink at Otto, W’s trendy bar located near the lobby, and then enjoy another kind of “exhibition”.
Another Montreal collective has been really active in the past few years; MOUVEMENT D’ART PUBLIC (MAP) is a multilingual project that gives artists from the four courners of the world the chance to invade the streets of Montreal in multiple ways. They’ve done wonderful projects with photographers and illustrators, and they use public spaces, including the metro, bus stops and billboards, to showcase the work of talented artists among the likes of Edward Burtynsky, the Sanchez Brothers and Dulce Pinzon. It’s literally an “art guerrilla” dedicated to promote all kinds of artistic expression. Isn’t it the best form of art? When a photo, an illustration or a painting is used as a poster and gives people access to creativity? I feel like we’ve turned Montreal into a huge canvas to make this city better, and I feel like these two initiatives give us the opportunity to rethink the way we see art in urban life.
Montréal culture is actually a mix of many cultures – strong French heritage, Anglo-saxon roots, and influences from everywhere. We’re proud of our French character, but very open to the world. Montréal is an experimental city. Nothing is set in stone here, everything is in constant flux. Plus, art is accessible here, it’s not overwhelmed by large institutions.
BRINGING THE BELMONT INTO 2010
