Do you like colours? Contrasts? Dreamy fantastical landscapes? I do! How about giant heads with creepy crawly cartoon-ish insects? Not in a gruesome way, but rather whimsical and cute. Well, it’s all at the Nicolas Party exhibit, L’heure Mauve, going on at the Musée des beaux-arts until October 16th 2022.
I checked it out the other day and left feeling invigorated by the energy buzzing within the galleries. The works by the Swiss born Party are strong, bold expressions of landscapes and still life and boy do they have a vibe. It’s like they emanate a hue that hovers above the crowd and impregnates us all with joy, longing and realization.
To top it off, one of my favourite Montréal-based musicians, Pierre Lapointe created a beautiful album to accompany the exhibit. A mix of some original songs along side some covers, much like the basis of the exhibit, which is not only made up of Party’s works, but also works that he selected from the museum’s permanent collection.
Let’s never forget the importance of institutions like the Musée des beaux-arts, and of exhibits such as this one. Montréal after all, wouldn’t be the special place it is without its cultural identity. It’s easy to take it for granted, but if the last two years have taught me anything – and they have – it’s that we cannot take anything for granted. Leonard Cohen captured this sentiment when he said “We are but lightly here” (This blog will be full of Cohen quotes, I predict).
So, merci Nicolas, Pierre and the team at the MBAM! And merci, Montréal for being the cultural heavyweight you are, even during a global pandemic.
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