Immerse yourself in the history of the evolution and voice of women through their work in the world of design: this is the beautiful idea behind the new exhibition Parall(elles): another design story.
There are little gems sleeping in the conservation rooms of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA). It is by drawing from its own collections that the museum has been able to set up Parall(elles): another design storyan exhibition following the establishment’s desire to approach important subjects in a new way, in order to show what has never been seen by visitors.
With the help of women artists in the scenography, catalog graphics and exhibition design, this exhibition focusing on the role of women in the history of design is a big step towards “the museum’s deep commitment to showcase this year’s women,” explains MMFA Director General Stéphane Aquin.
150 years of design
Beginning February 28, visitors will stroll through a suite of colorful rooms, each connected to an important era in the advancement of women in design and in history in general. On display are various design pieces that have been modernized over the years and the place granted (*taken) by women in the world of design.
Various themes are thus linked to it, including: women and the “arts and crafts” movement, ceramic and metalwork workshops, design and the tourist industry, the interwar period (using a perspective with the right to vote granted to women in Canada in 1918), interior design becoming a profession, the birth of industrial design in the 1920s, that of the mid-20e century, post-war crafts, the liberation of women in 1960, the arrival of graphic design, up to design at the dawn of the 20e century in the spheres of craftsmanship, design, science and technology.
250 works
Throughout this journey, the 250 works and objects designed by more than 200 creators become markers of the passage of time and the evolution of mores; jewelry, furniture, pottery, rugs, collages, drawings, paintings, graphic design, sculpture, various handicrafts.
A series of three concerts – which will be presented in the Bourgie room of the museum – has also been imagined in connection with this new exhibition. The goal ? To bridge the gap between music and the arts while highlighting the contribution of women in music. April 13 will be all about female jazz, May 7 will be transported to the Parisian salons of the 19e et 20e centuries and the hall will host musicians from the Orchester symphonique de Montréal on May 26.
♦ The exhibition Parall(elles): another design story is presented at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts until May 28. Concert tickets and times: mbam.qc.ca/fr/salle-bourgie/