Sound Images
Thematic Exhibition of Works from the Collection

Montréal, October 30. In the movies or video, in sculpture or multimedia assemblage, the role played by the sound track, whether musical or not, is part of some of the most powerful artistic projects on the current art scene. The Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal presents the exhibition Sound Images from November 3, 2007 to April 13, 2008.

The ten or so works brought together in this thematic exhibition of works from the Musée Collection incorporate sound, the idea of sound or occasionally, and more dramatically, the absence of sound, in the very nature and form of the work. Variations on the theme of musical performance can be found in Michael Snow’s silkscreen images illustrating a keyboard being played in Untitled (from the album “The Artist’s Jazz Band”, 1973-74); Jean-Pierre Gauthier’s piano playing triggered by the viewer in Battements et Papillons, 2006; Yannick Pouliot’s Baroque music room. Finally, in L’Œil acoustique, 1997, Raymond Gervais proposes poetic exchanges between the field of visual arts and that of music and its history.

Sylvain Bouthillette focuses on the ambiguous connections with the physical, narrative and sonic space in Dharma, Tram, Stop, 1997, whereas Linda Covit formalizes the paradox of a “voiceless bell” in Cloche aphone. Jean-Luc Vilmouth puts together a hilarious sound system in Stereo Morning that proves to be a reflection on the relationship between nature and culture.

Almost inaudible, Ann Hamilton’s curtains in (bearings) spin like whirling dervishes. In an atmosphere as contemplative and hypnotic, Darren Almond’s In the Between, 2006, projects the chanting of Tibetan monks, while Michèle Waquant’s Les Bruits blancs, 1990, proposes a persistent, repetitive “white noise.”

Finally, Christian Marclay’s video Telephones, 1995, offers a highly abridged exposé of film scenes involving telephone calls.

An exhibition full of poetry and humour by Josée Bélisle, curator of the Musée Collection, for both the eyes and the ears.

A Nocturnal Overture

Participants in November’s Nocturne will be able to catch a preview of the exhibition on Friday night, November 2nd. On the program: speed tour, live music with the National Parcs and bar service from 6 to 9, for an evening connected with… sound.

The Musée d'art contemporain is a provincially owned corporation funded by the Ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition féminine du Québec. It receives additional funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Canada Council for the Arts, as well as from Lichen Communications.

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Source and information:                                              
Danielle Legentil                                                         
Public Relations Coordinator                                      
Tel.: (514) 847-6232                                                 
E-mail: danielle.legentil@macm.org