In Montreal, C2 stands for commerce and creativity, as in C2-MTL, an annual gathering of leading innovators from a broad spectrum of industry who have but one thing on their minds: finding creative answers to commercial questions. And, especially this year, C2 also stands for culture and cool…

Now in its second year, C2-MTL – taking place at Arsenal (a converted shipyard built in 1846), May 21-23 – fairly explodes the notion of the traditional business conference. No soul-destroying PowerPoint presentations here. Instead, 20 internationally renowned keynote speakers from a multiplicity of disciplines – including, for example, Virgin’s Richard Branson, former supermodel and now business exec Elle Macpherson, and French architect and designer Philippe Starck – sharing their experience vis-à-vis immersive multimedia presentations.

An imaginative array of panel discussions, collaborative workshops, interactive exhibits, conceptual spaces and festive events all serve to augment the emphasis on creating next-level networking opportunities and real-world business solutions. Which is to say stimulation, not simulation.

C2-MTL is about the whole brain, left and right sides combined. Well-satiated senses are conducive to creating and C2’s arts and cultural partnering in particular reflects that. This year the Montreal Opera will play a key role at the conference opening with uniquely conceived solo performances blending digital media. Cirque du Soleil will contribute with a 47-performer strong original creation upped with “an extra dose of dazzle” from fashion legend and keynote speaker Diane von Furstenberg. The Montreal International Jazz Festival will kick in with Musique Risquée, featuring prominent Montreal DJs Vincent Lemieux and Akufen (they’ll also be curating music on C2’s outdoor plaza).

Modern dance will come in the form of the Festival TransAmérique choreographer Ginette Laurin and her new Arab Spring-inspired work Khaos. And to cap it all off, three of Montreal’s cutting-edge music festivals – M for Montreal, Osheaga and Igloofest – will all sponsor live entertainment on C2-MTL’s closing night at the Intel Forum onsite. Look for performances by indie-folk-rock tastemakers Half Moon Run, longstanding top-shelf turntablist Kid Koala and internationally acclaimed electro/techno dance DJ Tiga.

THE DETAILS

C2-MTL, May 21-23, 2013

Arsenal, 2020 Rue William, (514) 931-9978

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Whether it’s the masses of printed fabric on the sideboard, the golden baubles hiding beneath them, or the pages and pages of band posters and drawings on the kitchen table, it’s clear this is as much a workshop as a beautifully appointed living space. Morales first left her mark on the Montreal fashion scene when she opened a storefront on Saint-Laurent in Mile End in the early 2000s.

Since then, she’s gone through various transformations, as an artist is wont to do, to finally end up with a select handful of regular clients and a devil-may-care approach to fashion. She doesn’t follow the constraints of fashion weeks, or the strict rules of fashion seasons – she makes beautiful things (dresses, mainly) when she feels like it, and launches exciting new collections when she is so inclined.

These days, the breadth of this dynamo’s talent will be displayed in an eight-day frenzy at the forward-thinking Phi Centre, mere steps away from Morales’s home. The 8-Day Week by Renata Morales is one of Phi’s five people invited over the year to curate the whole centre their way. “Given the dates that were offered to me – June 5 to 12 – and the excitement of summer, being outside, and the way the Phi Centre is made, for spaces to be transformed and used so many ways – it all inspired an eight-day party,” says the designer.

The café space, just as you enter, will be transformed into a pop-up shop open from noon to midnight every day and featuring designs by herself and other Montreal marvels, including Complex Geometries, Denis Gagnon, Andrew Floyd Jewelry and Of / Golf Wang. “I’m making a special line of prints and tops for the Phi Centre, and then there’ll be some of my dresses; I’m also bringing back some prints from the past that we’re reworking,” says Morales.

There will also be an exhibition by amazing faux-Flemish-historical painter Joe Becker, some film screenings, and more music than you can shake a stick at: Young Paris, The Salivation Army, Tenderness, Prison Garde, Tonstartssbandht and the list goes on.

“I like the celebratory part of summer – we made it through winter again! The Old Port comes alive. Every day you can come to the Phi to eat and shop; there’s a DJ all day and then in the evening you come to see cutting-edge musical acts. There’s a karaoke night too, for those who like that!” Clearly, Morales has thought of everything.

THE DETAILS

The 8-Day Week by Renata Morales, June 5-12, 2013

Phi Centre, 407 Saint-Pierre, (514) 225-0525

Photos by Coey Kerr

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The 21 Swings public art installation, outside at the Quartier des Spectacles in the heart of downtown, is the kind of instrument anyone can play – and everyone is, no matter what their musical ability, age or whether they find themselves next to friends or strangers on the swings…

The long row of seven sets of colourful swings, like a mini playground along President-Kennedy Avenue between St-Urbain and Jeanne-Mance in the Quartier des Spectacles, is set up for collective music making until the end of May. Each swing hits its own notes, some sounding like a piano, some like a guitar or harp.

In French, the interactive installation’s title, 21 Balançoires, hints at part of its concept: to bring people together in public space in a kind of balance that reflects the fast-paced urban environment while showing how community-oriented Montreal really can be. That is, the more people work and play together, the more music can be made.

21 Swings came to Montreal’s streets last year and is even bigger this year and the music different with each group of people who happen to swing by. Created by Montreal artists Mouna Andraos and Melissa Mongiat and design group Daily Tous Les Jours, the installation is a project that blends artistic talents and urban design. Both Andraos and Mongiat have long been involved with interactive public art and design projects in Montreal and around the world, often looking to inspire people who might not think of themselves as musicians, performers or artists – with projects like 21 Swings, like magic, everyone becomes a creative force. Fittingly, the location of the swings is called Promenade des Artistes.

As people swing, melodies and harmonies are made along with others swinging next to them and nearby – sensors track the height, the speed and the position of the swings, triggering notes that match the swingers movements. Add to that an LED lighting system on the swing’s seat bottoms, and it’s a full-on collaborative, cooperative music show like no other, with participants listening to the music, slowing down and speeding up to adjust their part in it, and having a really good time just playing around.

THE DETAILS

21 Balançoires (21 Swings), until June 2, 2013

Photos by Susan Moss

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Here I am sitting at Montreal’s International airport, totally stoked to be on my way to Austin to cover Montreal artists showcasing their talents and creativity – such as Quebec’s darling Karim Ouellet, rock band Suuns, and a personal favorite of mine, singer-songwriter Peter Peter – at SXSW, one of the world’s biggest and most important festivals dedicated to music, film and technology…

The fact that music has long been one of Montreal’s most beloved exports is in full evidence at SXSW, so much so that Planet Québec puts on one the most popular showcases of the festival. Since Tourisme Montreal is giving them a hand this year, someone had to head down there to report back how great everything was!

I’ll be helping Tourisme Montreal with their Twitter (using the hashtag #sxswqc) Facebook, Instagram and Vine to help cover all the action in real time, from stirring performances, to poutine parties all the way to cool fashion and bad dance moves.

Don’t be shy to reach out to me up with any recommendations or comments!

Guest Blogger Tamy Emma Pepin is a content creator and curator. She works as a media personality online and on air and is currently the Director of Content at marketing agency N/A.

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Avenue 65 is basically OpenTable but done in Montréal style, ergo prettier and slicker. It’s pretty straightforward: pick your date, time and party size and scroll through Montreal’s best restaurants with space. Some times even have special deals like “15% off” or special menus.

Streetfood MTL - All hail the mighty food truck, because food trucks are so in right now. Food trucks combine my two favorite things: standing in line outside and gourmet food. Now with this handy app you’ll have no problem hunting down the best food trucks in Montréal.

RestoMontreal – Not the most beautiful app on the block, but definitely the most complete listing of Montréal restaurants. It includes info, ratings, menus, maps, and more. Last app update was 2010 so fingers crossed we’ll get a more user-friendly version soon!

Korean Food Montreal - Just when you thought all your culinary app dreams have come true, here is one that is dedicated solely to Korean food in Montréal. All eleven of them. Includes list and map views.

Deville Dinner Bar - The app itself doesn’t do much except show a map and some photos. Oh, and allow you to control the Jukebox when you’re connected to their wifi, no quarters needed. (1425 Stanley, (514) 281-6556)

Time Supperclub - Definitely one of the most feature complete apps for a club in Montreal. Make reservations, upload photos, see events and check-in to unlock special deals among other things. Definitely a must-download if you plan on hitting Time during your night out. (997 St Jacques West, (514) 392-9292)

St-Hubert - Just downloading this app will make your glands salivate. I personally start sweating their super secret sauce. Find the closest St-Hubert restaurant, or order something delicious. One flaw is when you order via the app, you can only pay with cash at the door, no credit cards accepted.

Wenite - Check out what’s going on in the Montréal nightlife scene live from this app. Users can vote a place up or down depending what the ambiance is like. In other words, decide what parties are worthy of your presence before you even do your hair!

Wildcard - Consider Wildcard your passport to Montréal’s nightlife. You can claim benefits at clubs, bars and lounges around the city. The roster of partner venues is a bit weak at the moment, but I expect more will be added soon.

Have any other apps that we missed? Add them in the comments section below to help travelers and locals get even more connected with Montreal. And check out our list of Best Culture Apps to see the range of museums, attractions and events that have also hopped on the digital bandwagon!

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LA VITRINE: La Vitrine is a detailed and up-to-date cultural calendar app for Montreal. Last minute offers with in-app ticket purchasing to shows, concerts, exhibitions, and other cultural activities.

NUIT BLANCHE A MONTREAL 2013: This is the official app for the 10th edition of Nuit blanche à Montréal. It’s an interactive guide to +170 activities in 3 districts and 1 pôle. The app has a futuristic “augmented reality” feature, and a very handy radar with social networking integration for optimal connectedness on Saturday, March 2, 2013!

ART SOUTERRAIN 2013: This app is the official guide to the maze of underground tunnels in Montreal that is transformed into a contemporary art gallery in March. There will be 130 art projects displayed in 7 km of underground spaces. The app includes social networking integration, multimedia elements, and practical info like maps, and calendars.

MONT-ROYAL APP: Remember when I said that everything has an App these days? Well that giant hill in the middle of Montreal has it’s very own app. It contains detailed maps and points of interests. CASINO DE MONTREAL: The magnificent Casino de Montreal has a gorgeous app that details all the events, slot machines, tables, Food and Bars. Must be 18+ to download.

DHC – ART MONTREAL: One of my favorite art galleries in Montreal that brings in some of the coolest and contemporary art from around the world has a beautiful app filled with events, podcasts, and an audio guide to their latest exhibit.

MONTREAL MUSEUMS: While many of the museums in Montreal have their very own stand-alone app, this app aggregates all the museums in Montreal into a single place so picking a place nearby or checking out exhibits all around the city is easy. It even includes special walking tours!

McCORD MUSEUM: A modern and a cutting-edge app for a museum filled with really old stuff. Montreal’s history is on full display here and with the app you can read about artifacts, watch videos, comment on items and exhibitions and create lists of your favorites.

URBAIN MTL MUSEUM: A very cool app by the McCord Museum in collaboration with Historia, allows you to take a historical walk through Montreal via a series of pins set into a map. Clicking on a pin brings up photos from that location but a very different era.

MONTREAL FINE ARTS MUSEUM: A 53 stop guide to their permanent European Art collections all set to music! Also available for $4.99 is an App to their latest exhibit, Peru: Kingdoms of the Sun and Moon.

CA MUZ MUSICAL CALENDAR: What’s playing tonight in Montreal? Check out Ca Muz with the most up-to-date live music events around the city. Filter by genre or flick through the week to find whatever suits your taste in Montreal’s eclectic music scene.

BIOSPHERE: Located on Ile Sainte-Hélène the Biosphere is an Environment Museum. The app is a bit scarce, but is a useful guide to the museum and the surround attractions in Park Jean Drapeau.

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Arsenal was already among the city’s biggest non-museum art spaces, but as of last week they’ve broken their own records. With a brand new show dramatically titled Like Thunder Out of China, uniting nearly 50 works by contemporary Chinese artists, they revealed a massive (think 22,000 square feet) section of the building that was as of yet unused. Part cavernous exhibition hall, part loading dock, the possibilities for parties (Grand Prix and Fashion Week are already regular clients) are endlessly exciting.

The art on view also does the space justice: The showstopper is the famous Miss Mao 3 by the Gao brothers, an 8-foot-tall stainless steel bust of Mao sporting huge inflated breasts, a creepy doll smile and a Pinocchio nose. (Is it any surprise the work is banned from exhibition in China?) The father of Chinese pop art, Qui Jie, contributes a series of drawings replacing politicians’ heads with those of cats – another sort of derision, only cuter. In fact, all the art was chosen for its cheeky spunk, its dissidence, its ability to comment on the state of China today from within. All the artists included still call China home.

When you hear Chinese art you may automatically think Ai Weiwei – he’s not included in this show, which focuses on the younger generation, but Like Thunder Out of China does mark the Canadian launch of the book Weiwei-isms and MAO, the complete book of his Mao iconography. Check it out in person, in the beautiful Arsenal space.

THE DETAILS

Like Thunder Out of China, Until July 27, 2013

Arsenal, 2020 William, (514) 931-9978

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The hottest show in the city right now (so popular half the people couldn’t get in on opening night!) is Jason Botkin’s solo exhibition titled ALLKIN, at the brand new Lndmrk Gallery. Botkin is one of the founding members of En Masse, one of Montreal’s greatest artistic claims to fame: it’s an art collective that groups over 20 artists at a time to make amazing black-and-white wall art. They’ve done work inside office buildings and museums, but you might know them best for their work on city walls.

In full contrast to those monochromatic group works, Botkin’s solo work is a mind-blowing, crazed colourfest full of tribalesque masks and monstrous personages. It’s mostly faces – some small, some bigger and more complex, made out of various layers of thin wood painted bright colours. And of course there’s the biggest face of all, the black-haired beast Botkin built around a staircase at the back of the gallery, which gives the viewer the impression they’re about to be eaten. Amazing.

Lndmrk is the latest brainchild of gallery owner Yves Laroche, whose other space, on Saint-Laurent in Little Italy, is also showing work that’s associated with street art these days. Among this commercial gallery’s most famous top sellers are Ron English, who famously manipulated billboards in 1980s America. Laroche also represents graffiti artists like Other, Cope2 and Push, all of which have works up right now. Stop by to check them out.

And finally, downtown at Galerie B-312 in the Belgo Building, duo Séripop – composed of Chloe Lum and Yannick Desranleau – has created a massive installation that will be in the gallery’s main room until February 7. Séripop made its name on the Montreal scene in the early 2000s because of their postering – the duo silkscreened beautifully weird and idiosyncratic ads announcing upcoming music shows. They’ve segued from that into an exciting gallery career, full of outlandish paper-based works like this one, which makes the viewer feel like they’re awash in a sea of colour.

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THE DETAILS

ALLKIN, by Jason Botkin, at Lndmrk Gallery (550 Beaumont), until March 29, 2013

General collection at Galerie Yves Laroche (6355 St-Laurent, 514-393-1999)

The Options that Are Offered to Us: The Least Likely/The Most Tolerable, by Séripop, at Galerie B-312 (372 Ste-Catherine W., suite 403) until February 7, 2013

The post BORN ON THE STREET, GROWN IN A GALLERY appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

This world premiere opening on February 2, fully organized, mounted and toured by the MMFA, is loftier than any anthropological-style expo you might imagine because it covers thousands of years of history, including Peruvian art produced in modern times. In addition to displaying an extensive collection of pre-Columbian treasures and masterpieces from the colonial era to Indigenism, including over 100 pieces that have never before been seen outside of Peru, you will be able to bask in modern Peruvian creativity.

As curator Victor Pimentel says, “Through the representation and reinterpretation of myths, rituals and other primordial symbols of identity captured by different artistic traditions, the exhibition will illustrate how the evocative power of images have influenced the history of pre-Hispanic, colonial and modern Peru.” Here are three treasures you simply can’t miss seeing.

1) A photograph by the wonderful Amerindian artist Martín Chambi, titled Tristeza andina, La Raya, from 1933. At the beginning of the 20th century, Indigenism flourished as an artistic and intellectual movement in Peru based on revalorizing and reaffirming the country’s indigenous heritage. Works depicting scenes of Native life and the idyllic landscapes of the Peruvian countryside and highlands such as this one were to transform the visual culture of Peru in the modern era.

2) The figurehead work of the exhibition, featured on its posters and promotional material: A Mochica frontal ornament in the shape of a half-feline, half-octopus dating from 100-800 A.D. and recently repatriated and exhibited for the first time outside of Peru. Made of pure gold and intricately carved, it symbolizes the constant dialogue between the world of the living and the world of the dead that was an essential component of Andean spirituality.

3) A beautiful anonymous 18th century painting titled Young Virgin Spinning, from the era after the Spanish conquest of Peru in the 16th century that led to the hybridization of the Peruvian culture. Paintings like this one, from the School of Cuzco – established by the Spanish as a means of converting the Incas to Catholicism – testify to the powerful role played by images in the campaign to evangelize the Native peoples of the Andes.

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THE DETAILS

Peru: Kingdoms of the Sun and Moon,  February 2 to June 16, 2013

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, 1380 Sherbrooke West, (514) 285-2000

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