Montreal's Mois de la Photo 2001 Confronts the Power of Images

The 7th edition of Le Mois de la Photo de Montréal, held from September 7 to October 28, 2001, featured over 130 artists across some fifty indoor and outdoor venues. Curated by Marie-Josée Jean, the biennial explored the theme "the power of the image," examining how images are shaped by media, advertising, and institutional control. The event included a rich theoretical program of conferences and expanded beyond photography to video and cinema. International contributions came from the Saison de France au Québec (structured by AFAA), the Festival of Light, and Scandinavian countries. A key exhibition, "Inferno and Paradiso" at Maison de la culture Frontenac, curated by artist Alfredo Jaar, presented photojournalism as "modest signs of solidarity" against neoliberal dehumanization. Evergon's series "Margaret and I" featured nude portraits of his aging mother, confronting taboos around mortality. Public interventions included "Interférences" in Berri-UQAM metro station, where artists displayed ambiguous images to provoke reflection on advertising's occupation of public space. Madelon Hooykaas and Elsa Stansfield invited the public to imagine images for a blank screen in the city's botanical garden. The biennial aimed to democratize image-making and foster dialogue, positioning the audience as partners rather than consumers.