For the entire month of May 2011, Montreal will celebrate contemporary art with the 7th edition of the Biennale Montreal. Curated by Museum of Canadian Contemporary Art director David Liss and Centre international d'art contemporain de Montréal executive and artistic director Claude Gosselin, the "BNL MTL" will be held from May 1st to 31st and will bring together the works of artists from Québec, Canada and abroad to present a rich and varied program.
The BNL MTL 2011 was inspired by Stéphane Mallarmé's poem "Un coup de dés jamais n'abolira le hasard", published in 1897. Some people feel that this poem, given its unique text and graphic design, heralded the birth of contemporary art, or at the very least marked the beginning of a new concept of art that has impacted all artistic disciplines.
The theme of the exhibition is Chance, that aspect of life that hides behind different words : randomness, gambling, probability. Chance plays a significant role in our lives. We move forward, not knowing what tomorrow will bring. This reality molds our lives, our imagination and influences our understanding of the world around us. To illustrate this theme, curators will be hosting some 40 artists hailing from 10 different countries, at three different venues across the city.
The former École des beaux-arts at Montréal
Open daily from noon to 6 pm, Thursday extended until 9 pm.
May 1-31 2011.
3450, St. Urbain Street at the corner of Sherbrooke Street West.
Place des Arts. Bus : 80 or 129.
La Fondation Guido Molinari
Open Wednesday to Sunday, from noon to 5 pm, last entrance at 4:30 pm.
May 1-31 2011.
3290, Sainte Catherine East Street.
Papineau, Frontenac, Préfontaine. Bus: 34, 29 or 125.
Le Cinéma du Parc
Open every Sunday from May 2011.
3575, Avenue du Parc
Place des Arts. Bus : 80 or 12
www.biennalemontreal.org
