It is certainly not the latest information announcing an additional investment by the governments of Quebec and Canada in the budgetary envelope intended for the expansion of the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal (MAC) that will reassure us when we consider the indolence that has marked the progress of the case so far over the past few years. We come to wonder if its board of directors really cares about the future of the institution.
Inconceivable and unacceptable are the words that come to mind when we see the situation in which the MAC finds itself, which is only a shadow of itself in a way. Currently relegated to the premises of a shopping mall at Place Ville Marie, the institution is in real decline. And it is becoming increasingly clear that the soap opera surrounding the transformation work on the building on Sainte-Catherine Street, which will not be completed for several years, does not bode well.
It has already been two years since the institution left the premises and nothing shows that this forced transition was seen as an opportunity to make the most of it, to do things differently, to be present in a different way both with the Montreal community and of the Quebec population.
A missed opportunity, if only to showcase the works in its collection, for example, as well as to develop collaborative projects with other institutions in Quebec.
This situation allows us to wonder about the future of the institution, when we observe that over the years it has moved away from its mission by abandoning certain aspects of its activities and services intended for the public, in particular by eliminating free access to its media library, an important documentation center in contemporary art, which had previously always been open to all, or by abandoning its multimedia creations program and reducing its conference program.
And now, we are witnessing the disappearance of its traveling exhibitions, as well as the putting on hold of its collecting activities, both by donation and by purchase. Should we not recall here the mandate of the Museum, namely “to publicize, promote and preserve contemporary Quebec art and to ensure the presence of international contemporary art through acquisitions, exhibitions and other entertainment activities”? What remains of all this? Very little!
What will be the future of the Museum of Contemporary Art? What do we do with this legacy of the Quiet Revolution which was, it should be noted, the first in Canada specifically devoted to contemporary art, and even one of the very first to see the light of day in the world?
It is urgent for the institution to react and demonstrate its relevance and its commitment to the public and the Quebec artistic community. It owes it from the outset to all those artists of the past who ardently demanded its creation, and to all those who subsequently found there the privileged showcase for making their work known to a wide audience.