New Exhibits to See in Old Montreal

Whether you’re an avid history buff, a contemporary art fan, or a pop culture aficionado, the museums and galleries of Old Montreal have just what you need in their springtime programming to keep you going. In the following article, we’re proposing a journey studded with colourful paintings, viking treasures, techno music, scientific discovery, black and white drawings, anecdotes from the Arctic, and textured paintings.

TECHNO WORLDS

Centre PHI, 315 Saint-Paul Street West

Arising from the counterculture of the 1980s, techno has become a real global phenomenon. To learn more about its history, the techno fan’s way of life, and the considerable influence it has had on the arts and society, visit Centre PHI from May 13th to June 19th, 2022. Old Montreal’s trendy institution presents TECHNO WORLDS, the first part of the free, three-part exhibit whose following parts will take place at Goethe-Institut and Société des arts technologiques. We are very lucky that this event is making a stop in our metropolis during its world tour!

Dan Climan

Galerie Youn, 384 Saint-Paul Street West

If you haven’t yet seen them, you should absolutely check out the colourful paintings of Montreal painter, tattoo artist, and illustrator Dan Climan. Until May 23rd, the exhibit The Look Says It All lays bare stolen moments of everyday life, travel scenes, and luxurious flowers. This artist’s works emanate a feeling of comfort and tender intimacy. This peaceful moment is more than welcome after the two harrowing years we’ve just gone through! You should also add the 10th anniversary festivities for Galerie Youn to your calendar. They will be taking place on June 4th, 2022.

Nuns, teachers, AND scientists…!

Marguerite-Bourgeoys Museum, 400 Saint-Paul Street East

Contrary to what we might believe, studying the sciences was not the sole providence of men before the 20th century! In order to get to know the religious pioneers who taught chemistry, physics, geography, astronomy, and botany during the 18th and 19th centuries, take a tour through the Marguerite-Bourgeoys Museum from April 28, 2022 to April 23, 2023. Fun and interactive, this exhibit collects photos, games, and a whole host of objects from the time, such as herbariums, measuring instruments, armillary spheres, and taxidermied specimens! And during your trip, you can also take this chance to admire the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours chapel, erected in 1771 and situated right next to the museum.

Boris Pintado

Wishbone Art Gallery, 395 Notre-Dame Street West

The Wishbone Art Gallery is the new little place to see in Old Montreal! We were practically running to come see this new, bright space and admire the works in its inaugural exhibition, Antémémoire, by Boris Pintado. The Spanish creator, who now works and lives in the metropolis, is interested in both nature and culture, and where they meet in the middle. His phantasmagorical creatures set his work apart by their minute details and delicate textures. The lovely space showing this work will present this exhibit collecting many of his team’s favourite works until June.

VIKINGS – Dragons of the Northern Seas

Pointe-à-Callière, 350 place Royale

Are you fascinated by the mysterious world of the Vikings? Head out to Pointe-à-Callière from April 14 to October 10, 2022, to experience the immersive exhibit dedicated to all things viking! You’ll leave the museum an expert on Thor, Erik the Red, and all their cohorts! 650 objects on display will tell the tale of their notable maritime and warmongering prowess, their mythology, the jobs and leisures they enjoyed, and the role of women in this ancient Scandinavian society of the 8th to 11th centuries. Weapons, jewellery, ship replicas, and other objects are displayed in a grandiose fashion, thanks to some sublime scenography and some collaboration from Ubisoft Montreal, creators of the popular video game Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. And on June 21st during the summer solstice, the city’s largest history museum will organize a celebration: Midsummer. Then, in July and August, a smorgasbord of Nordic-themed activities will be hosted, including workshops, games, storytelling, and performances… There are big plans afoot for this institution celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

Yulia Bas

LeRoyer Gallery, 41 Saint-Paul Street West

The LeRoyer Gallery is a must-see for fans of contemporary art. Founded in 1995, it now holds premises at three sites on the same stretch of Saint-Paul Street West. For this event, you’ll want to seek out number 41! One can’t help but be enchanted by Yulia Bas’ work on identity, tradition, and transmissions through her powerful anti-portraits and breathtaking beauty. Russian in origin and settled in Catalonia, this artist who dedicated many years of her life to designing yachts has returned to her first love — painting — with the exhibition Piece Of Mind, to our greatest pleasure. And in this same space starting in June, you may (re)discover the colourful street art of popular Montrealer Stikki Peaches.

Inuit Worlds – the Saladin d’Anglure Collection and Roald Amundsen – Lessons from the Arctic

Château Ramezay, 280 Notre-Dame Street East

In this magnificent building, which was the residence of the Ramezay family during the first part of the 18th century, two new exhibits will put you in touch with the history of the Great North and its inhabitants. In Inuit Worlds, fourteen objects belonging to anthropologist Bernard Saladin d’Anglure will help to demystify the human, animal, and spiritual universe of these native people. During his multiple trips to Nunavik and Nunavut between 1960 and 2000, this scientist was able to collect fur clothing, children’s toys, tools, and other everyday things. In the next room over, the perilous voyages of Roald Amundsen are told to us through photographs, logbooks, and items of the era. The daring Norwegian was the first white man to reach the South Pole, exploring the area from 1910 to 1912! You will learn all the secrets of his success after visiting the museum: clothes, nutrition, orienting instruments, dogs, and sleds… These two small, yet highly informative exhibits will be presented at Château Ramezay from March 10, 2022 to April 9, 2023.

N.B.: Does your establishment fit into this theme, but is not yet mentioned here? Don’t hesitate to contact us at info@sdcvieuxmontreal.com and we would be happy to add it here.

Photo credit 1: Wishbone Art Gallery