Online: 150 Years - 150 Works:... | Exhibitions

Online: 150 Years - 150 Works: Canadian Art as Historical Act

Galerie de l鈥橴QAM

Montreal | Quebec | Canada

02 May, 2018 - 02 May, 2023

Galerie de l鈥橴QAM will launch its brand new virtual exhibition. 3 years in the making, 150 Years | 150 Works: Canadian Art as Historical Act brings together the work of more than 150 artists and will be online for the next five years. The virtual exhibition 150 Years | 150 Works: Canadian Art as Historical Act presents art as an integral part of Canada鈥檚 social and political history. It looks at Canada through works that have in some way shaped or changed the country鈥檚 history over the past century and a half.

Most but not all of the works in this panorama are presented according to their year of production: here and there, diverging from chronological order serves to recast historical relationships and challenge traditional perceptions. Drawn from the collections of major museums, university galleries and private collections, the exhibited works include both well-known icons and little-known surprises. Brief texts discuss each one and interpret the context in which it was made. Supplemental descriptions and images provide a deeper understanding in some cases.

The exhibition can be discovered by following a timeline of Canadian history or by randomly browsing a mosaic of images that often leads to unexpected juxtapositions. Visitors can also follow the threads suggested by four categories: representing history, making history, expanding history and reopening history. Being open-ended, these categories foster exploration of and reflection on Canadian art as historical act. An interactive tool also invites users to establish their own take on history by selecting works that pique their interest or curiosity. This panorama also includes several educational tools to help better understand the Canadian artistic context: a lexicon, vignettes about the museum sector, references and a quiz.