Stéphan La Roche took up his post as Director General of the Musée de la civilisation du Québec in October 2015, and he became CEO of the establishment in November 2019. He granted this review interview to the Musée de la civilisation du Québec at the end of June. Duty on the occasion of the launch of the exhibition Gladiators. Heroes of the Colosseum.
What were your main goals and did you achieve them during your years as director of the Musée de la civilisation (MCQ)?
Initially, I wanted to make the whole issue of digital technology much more present in the museum’s exhibitions. I think the turning point has been made. We now see multimedia in all of our exhibitions. We have accelerated the digitization of the collections. We have a digital laboratory. So, I think we can say that this evolution of the museum is integrated. The second objective that I had set for myself was to have a museum that was more involved in its community, very present in the community of Quebec, but not only of Quebec, of Quebec. A national museum, therefore.
How does this desire to be a national museum translate?
The MCQ is present in the territory. It collaborates with regional museums and Montreal museums. We now have a collective space called “Voie libre” intended for projects from the community, indigenous projects, community groups, environmental groups. I also wanted to ensure that our exhibitions start circulating again. From this point of view too, we have made great progress. For example, with our exhibition Oh shit! on human waste, which is at the Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa and will then hit the road. Our exhibits on René Lévesque and on the play Brew also circulate.
Did you have a favorite exhibition?
It’s a pain to choose one, like being asked to choose my favorite child. I’ll answer anyway Hergé in Quebec. This is the first major international exhibition that we presented when I took office. It is also the greatest success in the history of the museum in terms of attendance and revenue development. Hergé in Quebec allowed us to settle our deficit, which was also a goal I had set for myself when I was appointed. This exhibition was magnificent and, in addition, after its presentation, we were able to take flight.
Your mandate has been marked by the pandemic. How has this crisis affected you?
The whole world and society were turned upside down. The museum too, of course. We opened and closed three times in two years.
Your management was also marked by the crisis surrounding the Espaces Bleus project, an election promise of the CAQ government that was abandoned at the beginning of the year. The MCQ was supposed to be the flagship of the network. What lesson do you draw from this adventure?
It must be remembered that the Quebec government had given us a mandate to develop a concept and develop it. We invested ourselves with all the vigor possible to collaborate well with all the sectors concerned. Financial issues, inflation, and the labour shortage led the government to decide to end the Espaces bleus and focus on the National Museum of History project on the Séminaire de Québec site.
Where is the development of a new state museum?
We have reassigned the Espaces bleus teams to this new project. It is going well. It is an extraordinary privilege. Teams are working to develop the exhibition project, the design, the digital components. The curators are selecting the objects. We should open in two years.
The MCQ received $6 million in donations from theatre man Roland Lepage to develop a museum of the Seminary. How will this wish be respected?
The donation is linked to the development of the collections, including a large section of scientific objects. The important project, to do this, is that of the Maison des sciences that we are currently developing and which will also be installed on the site of the Seminary to form a museum complex.
Unlike other cultural institutions, you do not begin your press conferences with a declaration of recognition of the non-cession of the territory on which the MCQ is installed. Is this an official instruction from the government?
There is no government directive. I don’t know where this information comes from. That said, the territory of Quebec City is the subject of “claims” from different nations. For us, recognizing the territory for a single nation is not an option. Work is therefore being done with several nations. We have opened a position for advisor on relations with First Nations. It is occupied by Matthieu Bougie. We also have the work in the entrance hall The arches of understanding by Ludovic Boney, artist of Wendat origin.