He was both "profoundly Montreal" and "totally planetary."
And now the late, great Leonard Cohen's work will serve as inspiration for Montrealers and visiting artists alike, as part of a special exposition at Montreal's Museum of Contemporary Art (MAC) for the city's 375th anniversary celebrations.
"What we want is to...celebrate the incredible musical and philosophical achievements of this great Montrealer," said John Zeppetelli, chief curator and director of the MAC.
The legendary singer-songwriter, poet and artist died in November at the age of 82, just one week after the release of his new album You Want It Darker.
The exposition, Leonard Cohen – A Crack in Everything, will debut in November 2017 and will feature commissioned work by filmmakers, visual artists and musicians including Quebec stars Ariane Moffatt, Jean Leloup and French singer Lou Doillon.
"Cohen [was] unrelentingly interesting." - John Zeppetelli, MAC's chief curator, director
The artworks will stretch across disciplines, and include visual and performance-based pieces, as well as music and writing.
All of the work is being commissioned, with support from Montreal's 375th anniversary celebrations.
CBC/Radio-Canada is also co-creating several original productions for the exposition and broadcasting some special events and concerts.
The public broadcaster will also open up its archives for artists to use its footage of Cohen, in concert and in interviews.
"Cohen [was] unrelentingly interesting in interviews. He never seemed to say anything banal," said Zeppetelli.
He said one filmmaker will cutting together Cohen's concert footage to create a "large immersive environment" in one of the museum's gallery spaces.
The exposition will lead off with American artist Jenny Holzer, who will create a series of large-scale projections of Cohen's lyrics and poetry.
Leonard Cohen is inspiration for new MAC exhibit0:59
They will be screened each night at sundown on Silo #5 in Montreal's Old Port, starting on Nov. 7, the one-year anniversary of Cohen's death.
Exposition becomes commemoration
It's an exposition that has been in the works for more than a year and a half, but came too late for Cohen to witness himself.
While Cohen was aware of the exposition, he wasn't working on it himself, according to Zeppetelli.
"Leonard, I think, philosophically, would not have wanted to participate in what he perceived to be ultimately a self-glorification," said Zeppetelli.
But the curator adds that while all of the participating artists "revere" Cohen, the exposition won't be a simple homage.
The artists will use Cohen's work to explore themes ranging from depression to post-Holocaust Jewish identity.
"It will be different opportunities to reflect on different things through this marvellous figure," he said.
MAC's Leonard Cohen exhibit becomes commemoration0:58
Museum expansion delayed to 2019
The Cohen exhibition comes as the museum is busy preparing for a long-awaited expansion worth $44.5 million, which will finally begin in January 2019, according to Zeppetelli.
The museum has secured $18.5 million dollars each from the provincial and federal governments to nearly double its exposition space, with the rest of the financing to come through private donations.
The construction will force the partial closure of the museum for two years, with plans to re-open in 2021, with a new restaurant, new façade and a greater presence on Ste-Catherine Street.
"We won't be completely off the radar," said Zeppetelli, who adds that some of the MAC's galleries should be able to remain open during the closure.
The museum also plans to collaborate on projects in other spaces, during the renovations.
The exposition Leonard Cohen – A Crack in Everything runs from Nov. 9, 2017 to April 1, 2018.
Solo Projections start Nov. 7, 2017, on the one-year anniversary of Cohen's death.
Leonard Cohen revered, explored at Montreal's Museum of Contemporary Art
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