Stephan Crétier and Stéphany Maillery Wing
For the Arts
of One World
10
galleries creating a dialogue between works from every continent
Opened on November
9, 2019
The
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) had unveil the new Stephan Crétier
and Stéphany Maillery Wing for the Arts of One World. Located on the
4th floor of the Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavilion. The wing has 10 fully
refurbished galleries. Each gallery creates a dialogue between works
of ancient cultures and those by local and international contemporary
artists, attempting to establish a new intercultural and
transhistorical perspective is. This project was made possible thanks
to the generous support of Stephan Crétier and Stéphany Maillery
and the wing is named to jonour them.
The
1025 m2 of the Stephan Crétier and Stéphany Maillery
wing contain more than 1500 objects and works by artists from every
continent. The wing presents
treasures from Africa, Asia, the Mediterranean, the Middle East,
Oceania and the Americas dating from the 4th millennium
BCE to the present days. It invites visitors to take a 360-degree
look at our collective ancient heritage as well as contemporary
creations. The wing’s layout highlights the exchange between
various cultures of the past and the present, thus showcasing current
artistic disciplines and social concerns, bypassing the discourse of
art history.
Tthe
Stephan Crétier and Stéphany Maillery Wing for the Arts of One
World promotes inclusive values that reflect Montreal, a metropolis
made up of nearly 120 cultural communities. It invites cultures to
come together to better understand each other in the 21st
century, assuring the cultural togetherness will not be a challenge.
Nathalie
Bondil, Director General and Chief Curator of the MMFA,
explained:
“Conceived of five years ago, this project is based on a generous and bold intercultural and transhistorical vision. It is the culmination of a decade of hard work (studies, rediscoveries, restorations, an acquisitions) with our curators, conservators, archivists, archeologists, experts and donors to enhance, reinforce, study, and renew our archeological collections and those from traditional cultures. The wing includes more than 1500 works: pieces that have been acquired over 10 years along with many pieces from our collection that have been rediscovered from our reserves. I wanted this wing to provide complex perspectives and diverse voices through more contemporary works that echo our global world. These great artists are from every continent and include Canadians who are part of diverse, Indigenous, and local and international communities....
More than ever, we need to think as One World, or a world of togetherness as our societies fracture. We want individuals to marvel at our plurality of cultures in a world that has never experienced such close proximity. This wing represents a journey toward the Other as we become aware of our common fate as we currently struggle to achieve sustainable development and protect life's diversity. This poetic journey refers to the extremely open and far-reaching thought of Caribbean poet and philosopher Édouard Glissant. His ideas are that we must crisscross the traditions of our world and that the imaginations of humanities must change.”
Location:
Thw new Stephan Crétier and Stéphany Maillery Wing for the Arts of One World is located on the 4th floor of the the Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavilion, the largest and most visited of the Museum's five pavilions.
“One
World"
A
tribute to Édouard Glissant
The
MMFA's World Cultures collection has been completely revamped. The
new name of this collection echoes the One World concept introduced
by Martinique poet and philosopher Édouard Glissant (1928-2011).
"Relationship" is the key to his vault of thoughts on
diversity and plurality. Questioning ethnocentric views of the world
and history, Glissant interprets modernity as a relational process in
a non-hierarchical world between all peoples and all cultures.
Click on images to enlarge them.
All photos © Nadia Slejskova
For more information about the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts' exhibitions and activities, visit the museum's website.
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