Montreal - Points of View gets a new look

The McCord Museum recently took advantage of a rotation of objects in its Montreal - Points of View exhibition to revitalize the exhibition and in doing so offer visitors a new experience. Objects and artefacts are rotated regularly to help conserve and preserve them.

With full respect paid to the initial approach of the exhibition and its urban narrative, the McCord Museum has designed a space from which a number of arteries extend, each focusing on themes related to the history of the city and its social and economic development.

The hub of the exhibition is Montreal today. Included in the modifications are video clips of experts offering fascinating insights into the city and current photos of the various Montreal sites featured along the Montreal - Points of View circuit. The result is a structured visit that's more enjoyable for visitors and that helps them appreciate the artefacts displayed.

The Saint-Laurent Boulevard artery has also undergone a transformation. A short film conveys the liveliness of this legendary street through unique views of its history and the contribution that immigration has made to our culinary, sport and cultural traditions.

The newly configured exhibition also offers easier to read information for a highly rewarding museum experience.

Twice annually, the McCord Museum takes a fresh look at the city by devoting the red wall in its exhibition hall to photographs by a contemporary artist.

Until July 15, 2013, visitors are invited to discover the work of photographer Guy Lafontaine, who presents two extraordinary perspectives of Montreal from the Olympic Stadium. The two shots, taken in 1991 (black and white) and 2012 (colour), offer a rare view of Sherbrooke Street looking downtown and clearly define the triangle formed by Pie-IX Boulevard, Sherbrooke Street and Pierre-de-Coubertin Avenue.

The Artist
Guy Lafontaine (Saint-Tite, Québec, 1958) is a self-taught documentary photographer working in Quebec. While pursuing a professional career in the field of mechanical engineering, he has for the past twenty-five years been exploring the urban environment - its architecture, its industrial sites, its changing neighbourhoods. His rigorous photographic approach is generally manifest in carefully composed but uncontrived monochrome images. Presented publicly for the first time in a group exhibition held in 1985, his work has since been the object of several solo shows. The McCord Museum owns a remarkable series by Guy Lafontaine portraying the 1991 closing of the Angus Shops, in Montreal's east end.

Crédit photo: © Guy Lafontaine

In parrallel with our exhibition, we have asked Montreal personalities to share their favourite places or their point of view on the city. Discover the Mile End with the leader of Bran Van 3000, James Di Salvio.
Watch the series