As if acquiescing to the difficulties of presenting a summer exhibition from the collection of a mid-sized institution, the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal has titled their current show “Déjà”—the French term for “already.” The work has, for the most part, already been exhibited at the museum, and the challenge for curator Josée Bélisle has been to make previously seen work appear fresh and relevant. Responding to this challenge, Bélisle has chosen to present a relatively small selection of pieces, using this opportunity to fill the galleries with large-scale sculpture and installation from David Altmejd, Louise Bourgeois and Richard Serra, among others. The art is presented alongside remarkably long, yet tasteful and accessible, didactic texts that contextualize the works and point to the importance of their place in the collection. The result is a show worth seeing—and, perhaps, even seeing again.

David Altmejd Le Berger 2008 Courtesy Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal

Jean-Pierre Gauthier Battements et Papillons 2006 Courtesy Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal