Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Art CompetitionCollections, Connections and Reconnections

1. Description

Supported by the Canada Council for the Arts under its New Chapter program, the Collections, Connections and Reconnections project is an opportunity for the MMFA to present contemporary works of art in its World Cultures galleries. Seven artists—from Canada’s First Nations or representing the country’s cultural diversity—will be chosen to create works inspired by the MMFA’s World Cultures collections.

These collections are divided into various sections and one or two works will be placed in the galleries devoted to the following:

- Mediterranean Archaeology- African Arts- Arts of the Americas- Asian Arts- Middle Eastern Arts

A jury will be responsible for the final selection. It will be made up of Nathalie Bondil, Director General and Chief Curator, Diane Charbonneau, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Decorative Arts and Photography, Jacques Des Rochers, Curator of Quebec and Canadian Art (before 1945), Geneviève Goyer-Ouimette, Gail and Stephen A. Jarislowsky Curator of Quebec and Canadian Contemporary Art, Erell Hubert, Curator of the Arts of the Americas and Africa, and Laura Vigo, Curator of Asian Arts. To be revealed in September 2017, the seven works selected will trace a path through the permanent World Cultures collections.

At a time when 19.8% of Canada’s population was born outside its borders, the MMFA is breaking new ground and showing its relevance in the light of current concerns by boldly encouraging dialogue between its collections and the country’s communities. This initiative intends to promote access to our national heritage and showcase multiculturalism, since:

- the seven works selected will create new dialogues with the various material cultures making up the MMFA’s collection,

- mediation tools (supporting gallery labels, guided tours, a mobile app) will highlight the strength of a society open to change and inclusive of all the voices it comprises.

2. Eligibility and exclusion

- Citizens or permanent residents of Canada - Artists who practise contemporary Aboriginal art or who come from the

country’s cultural communities - Those who have the status of a professional artist according to the Act

Respecting the Professional Status of Artists (chapter S-32.01), meaning that they:

o 1. Declare themselves to be professional artists; o 2. Produce works on their own behalf; o 3. Their works are exhibited, produced, published, presented in public or

marketed by a promoter; o 4. They have been recognized by their peers as a professional artist by

way of an honourable mention, an award, a prize, a grant, an appointment to a jury, an invitation to participate in a salon, or any other similar means.

- Any proposal received after noon on Thursday, March 16, 2017 will be automatically excluded from the competition.

3. Dialogue with the collection

All artists must familiarize themselves with one of the MMFA’s World Cultures collections and create a work that enters into dialogue with the objects constituting it.

A description of each of the collections can be found in Appendix 1 of this call for proposals.

4. Application in PDF format

The application must include the following in a single document (in the same order):

1. Completed application form (see Appendix 2) 2. A letter describing the proposed artwork (2 pages maximum)3. A preliminary plan for the proposed work, including technical specifications if

necessary 4. Itemized production budget (approximately $30,000)5. Estimate of the cost of moving the work (must fall within the total production

budget) 6. Preliminary timeline 7. Your CV 8. 15 images of your artwork9. A descriptive list of the images

5. Sending the application

Proposals must be sent by email to appelaprojets@mbamtl.org in a single PDF file (maximum file size 10 MB) by noon on Thursday, March 16, 2107.

6. A project bringing people together

This major project will reach a wide audience, since the MMFA will employ a multitude of mediation mechanisms, including a presentation of contemporary works right within the collections, a bilingual mobile app, guided tours for adults and students, as well as for people who are blind or have a visual impairment, content adapted for those who are hard of hearing, and activities designed for people living with Alzheimer’s disease.

7. Timeline

Submission of proposals by artists Noon, March 16, 2017

Selection of works by the jury March 20, 2017Presentation of works to the external committee for Canadian art for approval

March 24, 2017

Creation of works April to June 2017Installation of works June to August 2017

8. Budget

Artists must create the works with a budget of approximately CAD$30,000 per work.

The production budget for the work is to include: - Artist’s fees and copyright- Production costs for the work (including materials, dissemination aids and any

services required for designing and producing the work) - At least 10% of the budget is to be earmarked for unforeseen expenses

The budget is to exclude (expenses to be borne by the MMFA ): - Expenses related to mediation activities and public engagement - Shipping and insurance- Installation (audiovisual equipment – projectors, speakers, screens) and display

of the work (stands/bases, lighting, exhibition barriers, etc.)- The travel expenses of the chosen artists will be paid by the MMFA based on a

mutually pre-approved terms.

9. Locations for the works

The layout of the World Cultures galleries can be found in Appendix 3, which also includes technical information and offers suggestions on where works could be placed.

10. Design criteria

The work must be made in such a way that it can be displayed in another space, meaning that any work, including those intended to be wall-mounted, must be moveable and not integrated into the architecture of the gallery, so that it will be able to be incorporated within the MMFA collection.

Gallery access and the place where the works will be exhibited must be taken into consideration (see Appendix 3).- Maximum of 100 lb. per square foot; - Take into account that entrances into the galleries measure a maximum of 2.5 x

1.4 m (it is suggested that you visit the galleries);- Consider a minimum number of fastenings to the floor or ceiling for the

installation of the work; - Use durable materials and structures. The work’s materials have to be stable in

order to enable it to be on view in the galleries for over a year. Therefore, photographs, works on paper and textile works cannot be used.

APPENDIX 1: Description of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts’

World Cultures collections

Showcasing the splendour and diversity of the world’s artistic heritage, the MMFA’s World Cultures and Mediterranean Archaeology collections, which comprise 9,640 objects, are without equal in Quebec and among the largest in Canada. Many of the pieces are the result of judicious acquisitions made by F. Cleveland Morgan, volunteer curator of the Museum from 1916 to 1962.

Reflecting the MMFA’s overall vision, the future reinstallation of its permanent collections will give the World Cultures and Mediterranean Archaeology holdings greater visibility. In fact, in order to further demonstrate Montreal’s multiculturalism and contribute to social cohesion, the MMFA intends to increase the amount of space devoted to these collections. This reorganization will also provide an opportunity to focus more on a cross-cultural approach by incorporating contemporary works into the displays of historic objects, which will enable connections to be made between various times and places. The World Cultures and Mediterranean Archaeology collections offer visitors the chance to encounter their own history and that of other societies.

Mediterranean ArchaeologyRemarkable in its quality, the MMFA’s Mediterranean Archaeology collection is considered to be the second largest in Canada. It includes 875 objects dating from the Early Bronze Age to late classical times. Thanks to the richness of this collection, the MMFA has earned a reputation as an important repository of artefacts of the classical period. The collection is made up of stone and terracotta sculptures, glass objects, a substantial group of coins, bronzes, ceramic vessels, textiles (in particular, Coptic fabrics), jewellery and even mosaics and sarcophagi. Among other things, the MMFA is home to an exceptional collection of glass objects (perfume bottles, cups, bowls, and so on) produced between 300 B.C. and 800 A.D. that are magnificently preserved. New acquisitions, especially wonderful collections of Bronze Age vessels and Imperial Roman coins, continue to strengthen the MMFA’s holdings. The Mediterranean Archaeology collection illustrates not only the unique character of the Mediterranean Basin’s ancient civilizations, but also the significant cross-cultural influences at work in Greek, Roman and Egyptian art throughout antiquity.

African ArtsThe collection of African art currently includes 580 works, most of which are from sub-Saharan Africa. Under the initiative of F. Cleveland Morgan, African works first entered the Museum’s collection in the 1930s. Major donations, initially by the Jesuit priest Ernest Gagnon in 1975 and then that made in memory of the Reverend S. Ralph Collins in 1992, have had a strong impact on the collection, which includes masks, sculptures, textiles and functional objects such as weapons, musical instruments and body

ornaments. Carved wood has been a favourite support for African artists, but they have also expressed their creativity using other materials like metal, plant fibres and ivory. A number of works, such as a Dogon sculpture and a bronze plaque from the Benin Kingdom dating from the seventeenth century, enable an appreciation of the historical depth of African art. The majority of the works, however, were created and used during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries for religious, social and cultural practices that are sometimes many hundreds of years old and yet not frozen in time. Baoulé, Dogon and Senufo art from western Africa and Kuba, Ovimbundu and Chokwe art from the central part of the continent are among the strengths of the collection. It has been enriched by recent acquisitions, not only in terms of traditional art, with a Mangbetu vessel from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but also through contemporary African art, with a photograph by Cameroon artist Samuel Fosso.

Arts of the AmericasThe MMFA has one of Canada’s largest collections of art from the Americas, which continues to be enriched with new acquisitions—more than 700 in the last ten years. Covering over 4,000 years of history and bringing together artworks from over fifty different cultures, it allows visitors to gain an appreciation of the creativity, virtuosity and diversity of the artists and artisans of the Americas. The objects held by the Museum also offer a unique perspective on twentieth-century Montreal collectors. The majority of the collection—close to 1,300 works—is made up of objects produced before the arrival of Europeans in North America, Mesoamerica, Central America and South America, and mainly comprises ceramic vessels and sculptures, decorated textiles, works in precious metals and stone sculptures. Mesoamerica is particularly well represented through the art of the Olmec, Maya and Tlatilco cultures, Veracruz and western Mexico. The MMFA is also home to major collections of works from Central America and the Andes, including gold and Costa Rican jade jewellery, Moche and Nazca vessels, and Paracas textiles. Over 275 works produced in what is now the United States and various Latin American countries from the colonial era to today round out the collection, illustrating the many changes the arts of the Americas have experienced during the last centuries.

Asian Arts

Representative of both historic and contemporary creations, the MMFA’s Asian Arts collection includes over 5,000 pieces, mainly from China, Japan, Thailand, Korea and India. These works, made from 3000 B.C. right up to today, attest to the quality and scope of the collection. The art of China is shown through ancient bronzes and jades, funerary urns, pottery and porcelain, textiles, and pieces of furniture, including an imperial throne in vermilion lacquer dating from the late Ming period. The internationally famous collection of thousands of Japanese incense boxes assembled by Georges Clemenceau, ceramics, tea ceremony utensils and Japanese Ukiyo-e prints from the Edo period reflect the Japonisme (fashion for Japanese art) that held the attention of North American collectors in the early twentieth century. The MMFA collection also

includes one of the largest collections of Thai Sawankhalok pottery in North America, as well as works by renowned contemporary artists such as Zhang Huan, the Gao Brothers, Chen Jiagang and Ai Weiwei, to mention only those from China. By regularly purchasing the work of living Asian artists, the Museum provides invaluable insight into the dynamic between the artistic vocabularies of East and West.

Middle Eastern Arts The MMFA has an outstanding collection of Middle Eastern works, which includes a wonderful group of ancient Luristan bronzes from Iran, an exceptional relief from the palace of Ashurnasirpal II in Nimrud, Iraq, and 300 works dating from the Islamic era that come from North Africa, Spain, Central and South Asia as well as the Middle East. The collection therefore covers a number of significant periods and demonstrates the historic, geographic and aesthetic scope of both ancient and Islamic Middle Eastern art. Largely assembled in the first half of the twentieth century due to, among other things, the acquisitions made by F. Cleveland Morgan, the collection comprises glass and finely worked metal objects, textiles, manuscripts, miniatures and ceramics. Both antique and modern Iranian art are particularly well represented within the collection, notably through important ceramic works from the medieval period, whose beauty and variety attest to the rich creativity of the era’s potters as well as to the new decorative possibilities resulting from the invention and use of fritware or stonepaste ceramics.

APPENDIX 2:APPLICATION FORM

Applicant’s identification Last name: Click here to enter text.First name: Click here to enter text.Status in Canada: Select.

Applicant’s contact information: No., Street, Apt.: Click here to enter text.City: Click here to enter text.Province: Click here to enter text.Country: Click here to enter text.Telephone: Click here to enter text.Email: Click here to enter text.WEB Site: Click here to enter textGallery: Click here to enter text

Cultural dialogue: For which collection would you like to create an artwork?: Select.

o Mediterranean Archaeologyo African Artso Arts of the Americaso Asian Artso Middle Eastern Arts

With which First Nations or cultural community or communities do you identify yourself?: Click here to enter text.

APPENDIX 3:GALLERY ACCESS AND THE PLACE WHERE THE WORKS WILL BE EXHIBITED