Uncovering Hidden Histories

As the artistic director and one of the researcher for the "Between Past and Present" project by the Je suis Montréal collective realized in 2020, I delved into the histories of Montreal's Black, Indigenous, and Chinese communities.

Within this initiative, historical scenes depicting these communities were recreated to bridge the gap between past and present, offering a visual narrative connecting contemporary individuals with historical settings. Photographerand artist Bliss Mutanda created collages juxtaposing archival photos of Montreal with recent images of young BIPOC.

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Collaborations and Presentations

This project fostered collaborations, including partnerships with the Centre des mémoires montréalaises and the McCord Stewart Museum. As part of our collaboration with the McCord Stewart Museum, I presented the history of these communities to the employees of the museum, followed by engaging discussions.

The Je suis Montréal collective then co-created a workshop with the McCord Stewart Museum in 2022, open to the general public. Participants engaged in exploring historical facts through a card game, for which I designed, and a session using a magnetic archive image bank to juxtapose with urban views to envision new narratives.

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Bridging History and Present 

Drawing on the insights gained from this project, I now conduct workshops that explore the untold histories of BIPOC communities in Montreal, framing it within a perspective that connects history, belonging, art and civic engagement.

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