The Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art is known to be forward-thinking and creative, so when we heard that they were collaboarting with marketing and design agency Speakeasy to produce Les Nocturnes du MAC, an all-night event at the MAC consisting of live music, artists, a full bar, the famous CLOCK exhibit and much more, we had to dig a little deeper. We caught up with Alexandre Brosseau, the mastermind behind Speakeasy, to get the info on this majorly buzzed about event and how to navigate your way around the best way possible:
For those that are not familiar, what is Les Nocturnes du MAC?
Les Nocturnes du MAC are a series of event that take place at the MUSÉE D’ART CONTEMPORAIN DE Montreal to promote their major programming blocks. Instead of closing at 5pm, the museum stays open until 3am. The event is not a party, but rather an ideal addition to one’s nightly circuit. We want people to meet at the MAC after work, pass by before dinner, stop in on their way to the bar or on their way home from a club. For this edition, four exhibits will be open, the feature exhibit being The Clock by Christian Marclay. Artists and curators will be present, DJs Stéphane Cocke, Christian Pronovost, and Prison Garde will be playing, as well as the SUUNS and Radwan Ghazi Moumneh playing live sets.
How did you and Speakeasy get involved in this project?
The Musée d’Art Contemporain approached Speakeasy, my marketing and design agency, to help them re-think and re-launch its Nocturnes events, which have been happening for the past six years. I love the MAC and the idea of collaborating with the Museum to make it interesting to a demographic that I feel is interested in contemporary art, but are not yet in touch with the MAC. We got involved as co-producers on the series of events and have worked hard with the amazing team at the MAC to offer the public the ideal addition to whatever nightly circuit they embark on that given night.
What are you bringing to the table?
Speakeasy helped tweak the Nocturnes concept, changing it from being a party to being an amazing addition to anyone’s night; a meeting place, an opportunity to connect with the museum in a different context than its regular business hours.
With the help of graphic design firm extraordinaire Baillat Cardell & Fils, we created a map of Montreal that shows the museum at the center of a community of interest. The map suggests what Cafes, restaurants and bars they could go to once they have seen the exhibits and had a couple drinks at the Museum.
The activation will happen the day of the event, with 4000 maps of Les Nocturnes du MAC being distributed by the museum and its partner establishments.
Are you finding that the interest in arts is growing in Montreal?
Yes, I feel a growing interest in art and more specifically contemporary in Montreal, like in other cities like Miami, New York and Berlin.
Contemporary art seems to be becoming more accessible and more mainstream. Proof is that we are seeing an increasing amount of contemporary art references in pop culture: Rihanna, Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Woodkid, to name a few.
Miami’s Art Basel has become a major destination not just for collectors, artists, and gallerists, but also for people who are drawn to contemporary art and want to initiate a first contact.
What can people expect when they enter this event?
Expect to discover what the MAC has to offer year-round: an incredible space, located in the heart of our city, showcasing world-class exhibits and art. On top of that we are adding full bar service from 5pm to 3am, amazing music, and lots of like-minded people.
What would your perfect night involving Les Nocturnes du MAC look like?
I’m going to pretend like I don’t have three babies at home! After dinner I would stop by Joverse or FURCO for a quick drink, then I would either meet some friends for dinner at Park, Nora Gray, or Flyjin, then head to the MAC for Les Nocturnes to check out the exhibits, listen to some great music and have a couple drinks before calling it a night. Depending on my mood I might stop by Datcha or the Sparrow on my way home!
Check out the map we’ve created and you’ll see that the possibilities are endless. But I assure you that if you stick to the circuit, you’ll never be disappointed.
#LYNL | (Live Your Notable Life)
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