Spring is the perfect season to launch our inaugural Québec Triennial. After a long hard winter, optimism and enthusiasm are in the air. As these words are also fitting qualifiers for the current art scene here in Québec, you are in for a generally uplifting experience. This is the largest exhibition that we have ever attempted. As far as we can tell, it is also the largest exhibition ever of new Québec art. Not only is this show filling up the whole museum (not as easy as it sounds), we’ve spilled out onto the airwaves of our good friends at Télé-Québec, with whom we commissioned ten new works of art specifically for television. 

We are convinced that our excitement about this dynamic national scene will be contagious. In fact, we are so convinced that we decided to show off a bit, and present this timely exhibition throughout the whole summer, making sure that the largest possible number of visitors to the city will also get a taste of the genius loci and go home with the good news. Something clearly extraordinary is going on in the art studios of Québec. It would be wonderful to say that Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed represents the best of Québec, but even if it takes up every exhibition surface in our galleries, it represents only a sample. 

The criteria that guided the curators’ two-year selection process were originality, intelligence and timeliness. This team—Josée Bélisle, Paulette Gagnon, Pierre Landry and Mark Lanctôt—visited countless studios of professional artists who have made names for themselves in recent years. Without adopting a theme or a specific point of view (the delightfully poetic title came last), they happened upon a very diverse group of sensibilities that will surprise you with their extreme individuality. 

This is only the first in what we hope will be a long series of triennials whose sole purpose is to celebrate the creative force of Québec, its vitality and its sophistication. We also want them to regularly reaffirm Montréal as a key art production centre in North America. Although this museum is dedicated to the best art being made in the world today, no one could be happier than we are to demonstrate that a lot of the most exciting new art is being made right here. Tell your friends! 

Marc Mayer
Director
Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal