The Musée d’Art Contemporain takes an interesting approach for its current Borduas retrospective. Paul-Émile Borduas is an icon in the Quebec pantheon of artists.  His abstract works are in major collections – both private and public.  Josée Belisle, curator of the exhibition and of the MAC collection, invited four artists to choose their favourite Borduas work from the museum’s permanent collection. The fab four -  Irene F. Whittome, François Lacasse, Guy Pellerin and Roland Poulin – also have their own art displayed.

Wow !  Valet parking, a guest check list at the door, security and hors d’oeuvres by Bice greeted guests at Amel Chamandy’s solo show Scene Scape Through the Artist’s Eyes. Her contemporary art space, Galerie NuEdge Fine Arts International, is a beautiful, recent addition to Montreal’s famed Golden Square Mile.  Amel Chamandy’s works are totally urban: simple scenes in the city.  Their optical originality comes from the artist’s vision as she suggests new ways of seeing the day-to-day: the banal becomes beautiful.  Her large images (69’’ x 50’’) show a reality twice transformed.  The originals were captured in black and white film (!), photos taken in 1998 when Amel was studying at Concordia University.  Using today’s technological tools, she then digitally altered the originals.  The result?  Splendid blurry and coloured works: some more abstract than others. Each is unique.

Parisian Laundry, the contemporary art space in southwest Montreal, has an exciting show. One artist uses childhood memories to juxtapose macho and feminine symbols; the other offers powerful prism-like paintings.  The Parisian Laundry building used to be, yes, a laundry company!  Today, the beautiful, light-filled space hosts contemporary art Tuesdays through Saturdays.