Contemporary Art
View of one of the Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavilion’s contemporary art galleries. Photo MMFA, Julie Ciot
Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavilion – Level S2
From abstract and figurative paintings to multimedia installations and sculptures both minimalist and monumental, the MMFA gives an important place to contemporary art in its exhibition spaces, programming and acquisitions.
Created by artists from Quebec, Canada and abroad, and dating from the 1980s onwards, the works on display in these galleries reflect present-day issues, offering a mirror for our times. The artworks are rotated on a regular basis to give the public an appreciation of the many facets of this collection.
A Starry-eyed Subspecies
On your next visit to the Museum, discover this striking installation by Sri-Lankan born artist Rajni Perera, who lives and works in Toronto.
Recently acquired by the MMFA, this monumental work revisits the diorama—a type of simulated scene mounted by natural history and civilization museums to illustrate different ways of life and document distant, sometimes extinct, customs and traditions. Perera shakes up this concept by resolutely shifting her gaze towards the future and creating triumphant alternative worlds.
A Starry-eyed Subspecies makes reference to climate change and population displacement, yet it is not pessimistic. The artist chose instead to address these themes from a place of resilience, adaptation and survival.
Rajni Perera (born in 1985), A Starry-eyed Subspecies, 2022-2024, polyurethane foam, cow hair, mannequins, polymer clay, clothing and accessories of various fabrics, bamboo, synthetic fibres, wool, leather, metal, plastic, glass, paint, dried grass, synthetic grass, wood, 241 x 301 x 164 cm. MMFA, gift of the artist. Photo MMFA, Julie Ciot
