The director of the Museum of Civilization will leave his post at the end of the year. His two terms at the head of the institution were not easy. We saw the popular turning point of the museum, with very successful exhibitions such as Hergé in Quebec (2017) and Oh Shit (2021). Getting through COVID. The criticized sale of the heritage Maison Chevalier. The beginning and abortion of the Blue Spaces project. And, very recently, the announcement of the next National Museum of the History of Quebec. Assessment interview.
Is it the commotion of recent weeks that has led Stéphan La Roche to end his journey at the Musée de la civilization de Québec (MCQ), begun after the direction of Michel Côté (2010-2015)? No. The decision was already made.
“The announcement is being made now to allow the recruitment process, which can take eight months, to begin, so that the museum has someone in place by the time I leave,” explains the director.
The board of directors had offered Mr. La Roche a third mandate, which he declined. “I’m going to be 57 this weekend. If I go back for another five years, when I leave the MCQ, I will be 62 years old. “It’s no longer really the age for a new challenge,” analyzes the man who has no plan for the future, but who does not hide his thirst for new things.
Of his two mandates full of twists and turns, what was the biggest challenge? The director places his face in his hands and sighs. “The pandemic? Yes. It’s been a very, very intense two and a half years. ” ” Open close ; thrice. Reassign teams. Implement teleworking. Transform everything digital. Reassure people because there was a lot of worry. Maintain, through all of this, the interest of visitors, of our audiences…”
At the end of the pandemic, in 2023, the MCQ experienced its best year of ticket sales ever. ” It’s not nothing. There aren’t many cultural institutions that can say that. »
The collection, the company, the history
The last few weeks have once again brought the MCQ into the news. The definitive abandonment of the Blue Spaces network and the announcement of the creation, instead, of a new national museum dedicated to the history of Quebec, the presentation of which raised criticism and comments, are two projects under the leadership of the MCQ.
What does Stéphan La Roche think of commentators who fear that the MCQ and the next National Museum of Quebec History (MNHQ) will cannibalize each other? “The MCQ is neither a history museum, nor an ethnology museum, nor an anthropology museum, nor a science museum, nor an art museum. We are a society museum, which brings together a bit of all that. »
“The MNHQ will focus specifically on the history of Quebec. Point. » On the history of the Quebec nation? Mr. La Roche repeats “on the history of Quebec”. “It’s a much more circumscribed mandate. »
“Visitors to one or the other museum will seek different, complementary information. » But how can such different museum personalities be developed with a single collection, that of the Musée de la civilization?
No problem, replies the outgoing director. The MCQ collection is made up of 680,000 objects, documents, archives and works of art. “It’s gigantic!” » The collections of the National Museum of Fine Arts of Quebec or the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts are approximately 45,000 objects, that of the Museum of Contemporary Art has more like 8,000, according to Mr. La Roche. “It will create more outlets for our collection, of which we are only able to present a tiny part. Then, we will borrow from different museums in Quebec. And probably also elsewhere, in museums in France, the United States, and Canada, which also have significant objects from our history in their collections. »
The MCQ team, continues the director, knows how “exceptional it is to be entrusted with the mandate to create and implement the fourth national museum of Quebec.” “It’s been 40 years since this happened. » And the last time, it was to create, precisely, the Museum of Civilization, which opened its doors in 1988.
“We are the ones being offered the job. This is an extraordinary mark of confidence for our teams. They made the transition very well between the concept of Blue Spaces and the MNHQ. »
Should we understand that there will be a diversion of content and thinking done for Blue Spaces towards the MNHQ? “Nothing is lost, nothing is created, and not everything is lost in the Blue Spaces,” says Mr. La Roche with a smile.
The real head of state corporations
Before moving to the MCQ, Stéphan La Roche led the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ) from 2013 to 2015. He, who led two, believes that it is possible for a state corporation of Quebec to be truly autonomous and independent of the wishes of the government? Silence. Moment of reflection.
“I can tell you that we are completely independent in our content. At the museum, in the choice of our exhibitions; or at the CALQ, in the creation of programs, where no one gets involved in the allocation of subsidies. »
“That said, we have accountability,” moderates the director. “We have a minister, links with the Treasury Board, then with the Ministry of Finance, with the Ministry of Culture too, obviously. There is accountability to be done. »
“There are government guidelines sent to us. For example, you need to make a sustainable development plan. » And in the case of a project like Blue Spaces? “It was the government’s desire. As the MNHQ is a government will. »
“A government not only has the right, but it is its role to make choices, launch projects and give directions,” concludes Mr. La Roche.
Driving from one museum to another
From his time at MCQ, what made Stéphan La Roche proud? “To have contributed to making the MCQ, which has always been an innovative and daring museum, even more so. »
“We are the first museum to have an exhibition on shit, one on the struggle (Quebec in the arena, 2024), another one that is coming with pleasure. We created a space for social innovation, which means that the museum remains very popular, very accessible, very appreciated. »
Too popular, as some industry observers secretly think? The director accepts the question: “We have never been touting,” he believes. “We demonstrate that a museum can be engaged in its community, and do so intelligently, with diverse and balanced programming. »
“Where else are we going to see at the same time, an exhibition on the pharaohs (The time of the pharaohs2022), one on hip-hop (On words. The sound of queb rap2023) and another on Pompeii (Immortal city, 2021)? »
“I think we’re making people want to come to museums. After that, they will see other museums which they will visit. I think we can trigger a ripple effect. »