About the MAU
When one thinks of art placed in a public context we primarily make reference to three-dimensional works such as sculpture a
nd installation art. In contrast, two-dimensional works appear to be somewhat less visible in public spaces because of their association with galleries and museums. Making two-dimensional artwork available and visible to a vast public outside of the traditional museum-like spaces constitutes a considerable challenge and one, which ironically requires the resources and infrastructures of a gallery or museum. From this realization was born the Musée d'art urbain in Montréal (MAU).
The MAU is the only museum that dedicates itself to the production and diffusion of two-dimensional works in the urban environment in Québec. Much more than mere exhibitions, the Museum is at the heart of a permanent network of outdoor sites which permit it to communicate with a vast and diverse public while also offering visual artists a major opportunity for exposure.
In its innovative mandate, the Museum creates vast open-air exhibition spaces which contribute to enriching and improving the liveability of the urban environment while also facilitating the creation of cultural links between the art milieu and the general public.
Shifting Boundaries
New and established artists approached for our exhibitions confirm with enthusiasm the pertinence and necessity of the MAU as a new and different system of representation that exists outside the mainstream. Keeping in mind that the Museum orients itself towards artistic media usually excluded from major public presentation such as photography and painting, the institution offers artists a unique, innovative, and truly exceptional space for expression by both commissioned and recruited artists. The Museum's primary users, the casual passer-by is also treated to direct access to works usually reserved to the museum-going publics, thus involuntarily participating in a transformation and gradual democratization of exhibition practices through their interaction with the many diverse Museum initiated projects.
Structures and Reasoning
The subtle and flexible nature of the institution and its display structures allows it in the short and long term to adapt and welcome even the most demanding, specialized, or eccentric exhibitions while still remaining open and connected to life in the city. The structures designed by Michel Dallaire that present the Museum’s exhibitions stem from a traditional vision whereby the pedestrian re-appropriates the public spaces and transforms them with the help of the artist into truly public art spaces for everyone to enjoy. The cultural diffusion of these works is thus interwoven with an intervention into the city.
A Unique Museum
The MAU’s exhibition spaces transform and incarnate those of traditional museums through the aid of seating, didactic support mechanisms, and of course the works themselves. In re-establishing the human scale of public spaces for the visitor the Museum disassociates itself from commercial media and reaffirms its primary mission. As part of a new urban and public art mindset, the MAU is able to weave itself into the fabric of the lives of all Montréalers and leave with them a lasting artistic and cultural mark. The Museum thus offers a response to the disparity which exists between public art and art in museums. It achieves this status by providing dialogue and support mechanisms between art and the general public.
Towards the Future
By commissioning specific and original works of art from artists for its exhibitions, the MAU encourages new artistic creation and is directly supporting artists while also assuming the numerous logistical and professional responsibilities required for the successful implementation of professional exhibition practices.
See "Exhibitions" section for description of image content.
