Full of culture in Winnipeg

This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook

Manitoba’s capital is not necessarily on the list of great cultural destinations. What if we took the trouble to let ourselves be surprised?

It is impossible to count the doubtful faces when the author of these lines announced that he was going to spend a few days in the middle of the Canadian Prairies. It’s true that Winnipeg rarely ranks first on the list of cultural destinations. Several people hummed the old hit of the same name by Pierre Lalonde, this place where “the nights are long”.

However, Manitoba’s capital offers a variety of experiences, particularly in its museums. There are several of them within reasonable walking distance in a city which, let us say it, does not make the pedestrian king. For anyone who doubts this, try crossing at the intersection of Portage and Main streets. Since 1979, this has been virtually impossible, except by entering an underground passage. We dream of a solution by the end of the current decade. Because, there as elsewhere in North America, the car imposes its law, with a good number of parking lots located on vacant lots. Nicknamed the Chicago of the North, she wants to see better days.

This explains the majestic presence of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR), inaugurated in 2014, a building as emblematic as Place Ville Marie in Montreal or the CN Tower in Toronto. The work of the American architect Antoine Predock carried with it the hopes of a Bilbao effect, but the problems of the capital have not necessarily disappeared. Moreover, its history, which dates back to 2003 when wealthy businessman Israel Asper had the dream of a museum dedicated to the Holocaust, is strewn with twists and turns and contradictions. From its controversial construction on an important archaeological site to allegations of racism (experienced by several employees) and censorship (of content related to LGBTQ+ issues during school visits) in a not-so-distant era, the CMHR appears to be the symbol of challenges that shake up our universe.

“The Museum does not impose its definition of human rights, but invites everyone to debate it,” says Leslie Vryenhoek, communications advisor. On this point, the place speaks for itself, beyond the dizziness caused by its gigantism (with a total area of ​​24,155 square meters). Because, from the entrance to the exit, there are no stairs, except the one to get to the platform of the Tower of Hope, from where the view of the city is breathtaking. To reach the exhibition rooms, a magnificent tangle of corridors and alabaster walkways allows for unhindered circulation. There is no shortage of stops for reflection and contemplation. And this, from climate justice to the history of the Polish Solidarność movement, including an installation celebrating the courage of Ukrainian artists since the start of Russia’s invasion of their country.

History lessons

In the city’s cultural district, very close to the brutalist Centennial Hall, home of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the Symphony Orchestra, the Manitoba Museum also displays the architectural style popular in the 1960s. From prehistory to today , it is the entire evolution of a province which is expressed, sometimes in a spectacular way, and sometimes in an intimate and political way.

The visitor fond of contrasts will not fail to explore every corner of the Nonsuchreplica of a boat intended for the transport of goods in the 17th centurye century. Encapsulated since 1974 in one of the most imposing parts of the museum, the ship, built in 1968 to mark the 300e anniversary of the Hudson’s Bay Company, represents one of the jewels of the collection.

On the other hand, there is nothing flashy about the exhibition If These Walls Could Talk, but an essential page of history, that of the LGBTQ+ community of Winnipeg, from the 1970s to the 2010s. Designed with the collaboration of the Rainbow Resource Centre, it traces the struggles of Manitoban activists, between discrimination, the AIDS crisis and recognition for rights to marriage and adoption. In the middle of this space filled with photographs and videos full of poignant testimonies, Ashley Smith is not a little proud that this retrospective look is deployed in a museum dedicated to his province.

“The Rainbow Resource Center is moving, and we had an impressive collection of posters,” explains the manager of communications and educational programs for this community organization. All this attests to the struggles of the past, but this exhibition is – unfortunately – still relevant: the rights of our communities are still violated, and last year we saw book bans appear in some rural areas of Manitoba. As all visitors must pass through this room before leaving the establishment, we hope to reach people of all generations. »

Located near the Manitoba Legislative Assembly, the Winnipeg Art Gallery, with its undulating shapes, immediately attracts attention. Established on its current site since 1971, it has benefited from a makeover with the opening of the Qaumajuq Inuit art center in 2021. Upon arrival, the visitor is dazzled by the brightness of the place and seduced by the original style whose sculptures, in all formats, are displayed in the entrance hall.

The rest proves just as inspiring through a journey where the sections of the museum bear witness to its architectural evolution over the decades, housing more than 27,000 works from all periods. During my visit, I was able to linger in front of the… “Mona Lisa of Winnipeg”. The German artist Lucas Cranach the Elder produced this portrait in 1540, that of a lady with an enigmatic smile, with the particularity that it was painted on the image of a decapitated head of the French king Louis XVI… Enter Picasso , Borduas and Breughel, this mysterious woman lives in the very heart of Winnipeg. As if she was waiting for us, to undo some prejudices.

This report was made possible thanks to excellence grants from the Association of Independent Journalists of Quebec (AJIQ).

This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.

To watch on video


source site-40

Latest