After being in lockdown for the past two years, the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us that communicating with others and the willingness to be heard is important. This fall, from September 11, 2021, to February 13, 2022, visitors at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) will be enlightened by a new exhibit called How long does it take for one voice to reach another? The name derives from a poem by Carlyn Forché, which resonates with today’s current events, when voices have gone unheard and are mediated by the TV screens, computers and smart devices. This exhibit pushes the concept of communication through art in hopes of discovering what it is to find a meaningful connection after being in isolation for so long. The exhibit will centre on familiar emotions that have risen over the last couple of years throughout society. Using major works from the museum’s permanent collection, new pieces and important loans from Canadian collections, feelings — such as loss, separation, love, reconciliation and the need to be heard — will be highlighted.

Museum-goers will get to experience artwork from a span of different centuries and cultures, which includes paintings, manuscripts and contemporary artwork. The MMFA has gathered a diverse collection of art to metaphorically embody the current times we are living in. Artists included in the exhibit are Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Betty Goodwin, Rebecca Belmore, Hannah Claus, Geneviève Cadieux, Shilpa Gupta, Stanley Fevriér, Nadia Myre and Niap (Nancy Saunders). In addition, the museum exhibit will feature new and old collections of artwork, presented from such artists as Yves Gaucher, Charles Gagnon, Ribera, Rodinand and Rembrandt. 

With years of ignoring marginalized voices, the MMFA invites visitors to listen to those who are often avoided or misunderstood. The exhibit will enlighten people so they can understand the true meaning of developing relationships, as well as listening and learning to communicate with others, through this collection.    

www.mbam.qc.ca