Reinventing the MAC – Between Quebec roots and the global avant-garde

I am very happy to pursue my career in a Quebec museum institution. After directing the Musée de la civilisation, returning to the world of contemporary art brings me back to my first loves, which I nurtured as president and CEO of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, among others. I have always had a passion for contemporary art and the visual arts, so I feel well equipped to lead this new mission.

I learned a great deal in Quebec City, particularly about the importance of developing international networks. Our museums must engage in dialogue with the rest of the world and collaborate with foreign artists and partners. This opens a window onto what is going on elsewhere and enables us to innovate locally. At the same time, I am delighted to be returning to Montreal, an intercultural, vibrant city with brilliant avant-garde artists.

When it was founded, the MAC was designed, among other things, to promote contemporary Quebec artists, and I want us to remain firmly rooted in this primary mission. We have a rich collection and a thriving local art scene, and giving it the space it deserves is key. I also place a strong focus on Indigenous peoples: their art is booming, and our museum must reflect that. The MAC must also remain a showcase for the most innovative art forms from elsewhere. For me, these two axes—local and international—must be in constant dialogue. Here’s how I would sum up my vision: “Know where you come from to determine where you’re headed.”

The renovation work will give the museum a spectacular new glass exterior. The building will be much more open to the city, blending with the urban fabric and public spaces of the Quartier des Spectacles. The MAC will no longer be a closed space, but a welcoming and lively museum engaged in dialogue with the street.

An essential one. I want them to be able to engage in dialogue with the big names and bring their work into the collective conversation. Interdisciplinary has always been embedded in the MAC’s DNA—it was one of the first museums in North America to host performing artists in residence. Today, I believe more than ever that a visual arts museum must be unbounded and wide open to other art forms. It must become a place of creation as much as dissemination.

I want year one to be devoted to rediscovering our foundations. The first year will focus on our Quebec collections and local artists. Then, in the following first or second season, we will open our doors further to major international avant-garde movements. In short, we will begin by “knowing where we come from” before leaping headlong into the future.