News
October 27, 2026
McCord Stewart Museum and the Biosphère partner on an artist residency: Place Courage will revisit Expo 67 while turning to the future
Press Release
Montreal, October 27, 2026 – To mark the 60th anniversary of Expo 67, the McCord Stewart Museum and the Biosphère | Espace pour la vie are joining forces to present a new exhibition dedicated to this landmark event in our history. As part of the McCord Stewart Museum’s Artist-in-Residence program, Place Courage, an artist duo formed by sisters Marie Samuel Levasseur and Maude Levasseur, will revisit Expo 67’s material, social and symbolic legacies. The exhibition will be presented at both institutions in spring 2027.
During their research and creation residency, the artists will draw on the McCord Stewart Museum’s rich collections, take inspiration from the Biosphère’s innovative approach to exhibitions and explore the historic Expo 67 site. They will approach Expo 67 as a living space: a reservoir of objects, images, stories and utopias to be reactivated rather than simply a record of the past. Moving between memory and projection, the exhibition will bring different temporalities into dialogue, connecting the aspirations of the past with the realities of the present and the possibilities of tomorrow.
“Expo 67 celebrated Man and His World. We want to imagine a world, a collection of islands, that belongs not only to humans but to the entire web of life. We hope to harness the tools of art to rekindle the event’s utopian spirit and collectively envision desirable futures grounded in ecocentric knowledge.”
– Place Courage
“At a time of profound transformation, it is essential that we reflect on the foundations of our society: our history, our values, how we inhabit the land and our relationships with one another and the living world. Emerging from a collective reflection among collaborators united by shared aspirations, this project invites us to revisit Expo 67’s legacy and ideals to imagine new horizons. It also reminds us that partnerships and culture are essential levers for advancing the great causes of our time.”
– Anne Eschapasse, President and CEO of the McCord Stewart Museum
“By revisiting the spirit of Expo 67, these exhibitions will invite the public to reflect on the futures imagined in the past and the ones we want to build today. The artists will reinterpret the visions of the future that emerged in the 1960s in light of contemporary challenges, offering a perspective that is critical, creative and hopeful.”
– Isabelle St-Germain, Director of the Biosphère
Place Courage
About
Place Courage is an artist duo formed by sisters Marie Samuel Levasseur and Maude Levasseur. Their multidisciplinary practice bridges participatory art and the transmission of knowledge, with particular attention to narratives of care, belonging, and collective memory. Marie’s multidisciplinary practice and Maude’s grounding in textile arts and art/health research feed into one another, pushing the duo to seek, for each project, the approach that will best do justice to the stories being told.
Among their accomplishments: La Table des plats perdus, which brought together more than 2,000 people at the Monument-National; Soin Maison, a public art photography trail resulting from a residency with the Regroupement des aidant·es naturel·les de Montréal; and Le Banquet des plats perdus du Nord, developed in collaboration with Inuit, Innu, Sámi, Scandinavian, Nordic, and Montreal communities.
The McCord Stewart Museum
About
A landmark in the heart of Montreal for over 100 years, the McCord Stewart Museum bears witness to the history of Quebec’s metropolis as well as its influence in Canada and around the world, celebrating the vitality, creativity and diversity of the communities that make it up.
The Museum amplifies their voices by interpreting and disseminating the remarkable heritage under its custody: six expansive collections of 3.2 million images, objects, documents and works of art that make it one of North America’s leading museums.
In keeping with its commitment to decolonization and sustainable development, it creates stimulating exhibitions and educational, cultural and community-engagement activities that look at the social history and contemporary issues affecting its audiences through a critical and inclusive lens, inspiring them to take action for a fairer society.
The Biosphère
About
Nestled in Montreal’s Parc Jean-Drapeau, on the shores of the St. Lawrence River, the Biosphère is an inclusive institution showcasing a variety of approaches that offer a unique space for open innovation and engagement on pressing socio-environmental issues. The Biosphère’s exhibitions, events, and mediation activities bring together all forms of knowledge, celebrating both traditional and academic insights. The museum hosts researchers and artists, committed to inspiring, informing, and empowering to take action.
Through the power of visual, digital, and performing arts, the Biosphère raises awareness, imparts the knowledge needed to protect biodiversity, and inspires action and engagement.
Information and interview requests:
McCord Stewart Museum
Marc-André Champagne
Officer, Public Relations
514 861-6701, ext. 1239
marc-andre.champagne@mccord-stewart.ca
Espace pour la vie
Chantal Côté
Communications Officer
Espace pour la vie
514 290-7236
chantal.cote4@montreal.ca
On view in Spring 2027
Expo 67 - Artist-in-residence
Conceived as part of the Artist-in-Residence program and a collaboration between the Museum and the Biosphère marking the 60th anniversary of Expo 67, this exhibition by Place Courage, the artistic duo formed by sisters Marie Samuel Levasseur and Maude Levasseur, will explore the material, social, and symbolic legacies of this landmark event in Montréal’s history. The joint exhibition will be presented across both institutions’ spaces in spring 2027.
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