Comfort and Indifference

In a united show of support for Quebec’s vibrant contemporary art scene, the MMFA and the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal (MAC) are coming together for a special exhibition. This selection of works acquired by the MAC between 2020 and 2025 spans a wide range of subjects and mediums to examine the notions of comfort and indifference in view of the state of the world.

The exhibition’s title comes from Denys Arcand’s critical and lucid documentary, Comfort and Indifference (1981). The film shows the events preceding and following the first referendum on Quebec independence in May 1980 and emphasizes the ways in which many Quebecers at the time, preoccupied with their own search for material comfort, remained indifferent to their political agency. Today, in the face of global crises, the title takes on new meaning and speaks volumes: What does it take to transform the privilege of apathy, maintained by the consumerism and inaction it creates, into a clear-sighted engagement sustained by a sense of empathy and solidarity?

Presenting this selection of works made by twenty-two Quebec artists in one exhibition space allows for new perspectives on their subject matter and formal characteristics, while also underscoring the MAC’s involvement in the community of artists who were born or have worked in Quebec.