JEAN LELOUP, ARIANE MOFFATT AND LOU DOILLON TO TAKE PART IN THE LEONARD COHEN EXHIBITION AT THE MAC
MONTRÉAL, Dec. 7, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - With less than a year to go until the opening of Leonard Cohen – Une brèche en toute chose / A Crack in Everything, the MAC is pleased to announce a selection of artists who will participate in the exhibition to honour the great Montréal icon. Musicians; Jean Leloup, Ariane Moffat and Lou Doillon will be among the 25 or more artists from multiple disciplines who will take part in this extraordinary exhibition scheduled to run at the MAC from November 9, 2017 to April 1, 2018 as part of the official program of the festivities for Montréal's 375th anniversary.
To offer visitors a participatory experience, the Musée has invited and commissioned local and international artists to create new works exploring a wide range of themes and subject matter that Cohen touched upon. Jean Leloup, Ariane Moffat and Lou Doillon, amongst others, will revisit classic Cohen songs, which museum-goers can listen to at the MAC throughout the run of the exhibition.
"The fact that such high-calibre artists have come together around Leonard Cohen testifies to the relevance of his music and the phenomenal impact the singer had on the entire cultural community. We are delighted to be able to work with such prominent artists in order to offer visitors a journey into the world of this exceptional poet," says John Zeppetelli, Director and Chief Curator of the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal.
"It's definitely an honour for me to be able to record a song by Leonard Cohen. At 20 years old, I was a struggling artist supporting myself by making portraits in the street. After all the street protests and demonstrations, the social uprisings, the never-ending wars, and the daily 9 to 5 grind, I felt there was an emptiness, a void to the eighties. It was at the café where I would go for my breaks and to drink cappuccinos, that they played Cohen's records non-stop. I was taken by his strange melodies and would sit transfixed, as if in a trance for hours listening to his voice, which was then pretty nasal. I will always remember that even though his music wasn't always joyful, it had a curious healing power, and was able to stop time. Someone, a person I didn't know was simply offering me poetry with a voice and a guitar," stated Jean Leloup.
Ariane Moffatt comments: "I have always listened to Leonard Cohen's music like the voice of a guide, I'd even go so far as to say a musical father figure, no doubt because of its reassuring timbre. What he embodied for me was the integration of great spirituality into his work and a disarming humility in the face of the mountain of effort it took to achieve Beauty."
According to Lou Doillon, Leonard Cohen represents "the writing of benevolence, the voice of the human, the music of the earth. Man and his faults, transcended."
"This exhibition will amaze us by the creations of the artists celebrating Cohen's legacy. His genius will transcend the works paying tribute to the immense artist he was, said Gilbert Rozon, Commissioner of the 375th Anniversary celebrations. Dynamic and immersive, these artistic productions will be inspiring, like this great poet."
Multidisciplinary artists, visual artists, performers, musicians, writers and filmmakers, will offer visitors brand-new works, created specially for the exhibition and presented within the various spaces at the Musée as well as beyond its walls. The exhibition, co-curated by John Zeppetelli and Victor Shiffman, is the closing event in the festivities for Montréal's 375th anniversary and will bring together many leading visual artists, whose names will be revealed soon.
This exhibition underscores the important literary and musical achievements of Leonard Cohen and the huge impact he had, especially on the music scene. It is thus in honour of this extraordinary influence that the Musée has chosen to announce the participation of local and international musical artists first.
"With the recent death of Leonard Cohen, our exhibition takes on new meaning. It becomes a tribute to this global icon. We have a great responsibility to the public, and the approach adopted by the artists will certainly take that into account so as to reflect all the respect and recognition due to this Montréal artist," John Zeppetelli goes on to say.
Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal
Located in the heart of the Quartier des Spectacles, the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal makes today's art a vital part of Montréal and Québec life. For more than fifty years, this vibrant museum has brought together local and international artists, their works and an ever growing public. It is a also place of discovery, offering visitors experiences that are continually changing and new, and often unexpected and stirring. The Musée presents temporary exhibitions devoted to outstanding and relevant current artists who provide their own, particular insight into our society, as well as exhibitions of works drawn from the museum's extensive Permanent Collection. They may feature every form of expression: digital and sound works, installations, paintings, sculptures, ephemeral pieces, and more. In addition to its wide range of educational activities familiarizing the general public with contemporary art, the Musée organizes unique artistic performances and festive events. It is a window onto a myriad of avant-garde expressions that extend the reach of art throughout the city and beyond.
About the Society for the Celebration of Montréal's 375th Anniversary
The Society for the Celebration of Montréal's 375th Anniversary is a non-profit organization whose mission is to organize the celebrations and socioeconomic contributions that will mark Montréal's 375th anniversary in 2017.
With a focus on promoting Montréal expertise, it acts as a catalyst for local forces in carrying out its mandate: to mobilize the community, implement a funding strategy, rigorously manage public funds, develop quality programming and ensure the visibility of the celebrations.
The Society benefits from the support of the Ville de Montréal, the Québec government, the Canada government and private funding from 11 Great Montrealers. For more information, see www.375mtl.com.
You can find all our press releases and additional pictures and videos in our virtual press room.
Get all the latest news in real time on our Twitter feed: @375Mtl.
Follow us on Facebook.
To learn more about the contribution of the Québec government, a major partner in Montréal's 375th anniversary celebrations, visit the website of the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Occupation du territoire.
Images available for media :
http://presse.macm.org/en/
User name : presse
Password : gtrcmedias
Menu : exhibitions
Menu : Leonard Cohen
Credit : Please use credit and caption provided with each picture
SOURCE Société des célébrations du 375e anniversaire de Montréal
Image with caption: "Léonard Cohen. Photo credit: M. J. Kim (CNW Group/Société des célébrations du 375e anniversaire de Montréal)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20161207_C4715_PHOTO_EN_833265.jpg
375MTL source: Isabelle Pelletier, [email protected], 514 238-4178; MAC source: Steven Ross, [email protected], 514 847-6232
Share this article