On the walls: the week in art

Work by Laurent Grasso

The Musée d’art contemporain welcomes three new exhibits, by Laurent Grasso, Lynne Cohen and Jonathas de Andrade. Be the first to see ’em at tonight’s opening party, with music by DJ Ortiz. MAC (185 Ste-Catherine W.), 6 p.m., free 

Michael Maranda’s latest, ARTFORUMx, is an intricate study of ARTFORUM magazine. Each issue (dating from 1962 to 2010) has been recreated, with red squares replacing content and black squares substituting adspace. The end result offers the market of magazines and how it has changed over the course of fifty years. The artist will be giving a lecture on Wednesday at UQAM, to discuss this undertaking. Vernissage Feb. 7, Artexte (2 Ste-Catherine E., #301),6 p.m., free.

Pierre-Ouellette art contemporain opens a collection of selected works by Adad Hannah, comprised of pieces culled from the artist’s most recent slate of exhibitions around the world. Vernissage Feb. 7, PFOAC (Belgo Building, 372 Ste-Catherine W., #216), 6-8 p.m., free

The group effort Pigeon Voyageur is all about how ideas, beliefs, actions circulate. It’s a study on how language (both spoken and written) is ultimately influenced by social constructs. Two projects are on hand that illustrate this message: “Subjects” (Zeesy Powers) and “Society’s Space” (Dominic Gagnon) study the powers of persuasion in language and imagery. You can participate in Powers’ project through Feb. 8; the artist will tell you exactly what you’re like, then post it on YouTube. Click through for deets. Vernissage Feb. 7, Eastern Bloc (7240 Clark), 6 p.m., free

Structure Apparente, by Montreal artist Luce Meunier demonstrates the maybe-not-so-apparent techniques used in her work at La Galerie Antoine Ertaskiran.  Her work plays with lights and surfaces by employing lines, layers and textures, all peeking into the artist’s creative process. Vernissage Feb. 7, Galerie Antoine Ertaskiran (1000 Amherst, # 101), 6 p.m., free

Two Montreal artists, Suzanne Lafrance and Stephanie Morisette, bring Dans La Proximite des Ombres to Galerie Dominique Bouffard. First, Lafrance takes a look at the development and establishment of words and also how body language sometimes speaks volumes. Morisette’s works talk about the risk and confusion in particular exchanges with others, something fully understood by a large portion of Montrealers. Vernissage Feb. 7, Galerie Dominique Bouffard (1000 Amherst, # 101), 6 p.m., free

Monastiraki welcomes a collection of Victorian-influenced pencil drawings by Jude Griebel, called Cry The Right Shapes. These compelling, highly detailed and skillfully drafted images make connections between everything from supernatural film history to the autobiographical. Feb. 8, Monastiraki (5478 St-Laurent), 6-9 p.m., free

Aimer le désordre translates to “loving chaos” (if you didn’t already know), and it quite literally explains Frédérique Ulman-Gagne’s newewst exposition at La Centrale Galerie Powerhouse. Ulman-Gagne seeks to create a link between everyday repetition and the patterns that appear in her pieces. It’s about reaching out and finding ground in the mess, whether it’s mess in the household or disorder in one’s studio space. Vernissage Feb. 8, La Centrale (4296 St-Laurent), 7 p.m., free

As part of its on-going ABC:MTL exhibit, the Canadian Centre for Architecture is hosting a Meet the Artists session. Cultural producers will be on hand to talk about their respective projects, including Kesso Saulnier, Jessica Auer, Maxime Larrivée-Roy, Vincent Lalonde-Dupuy, Pierre Moro-Lin, Xavier Coulombe-Murray and Douglas Moffatt. CCA (1920 Baile), 3-5 p.m., free

The launch party for Artexte’s e-mag happens this week, what the gallery is calling an “open access digital repository” for all-things visual arts related. In celebration of this database, the gallery is hosting a slew of events: speakers, panels and following that, the reception and actual launch of the e-artexe.ca site. Feb. 9, Artexte (2 Ste-Catherine E., #301), 1 p.m., free

Multidisciplinary artist Christine Brézina brings This is All There Is to Galerie Rats 9. And what a collection: pieces meant to seduce and inspire its onlookers. Sometimes her work is scenic, a call to action; other times, an intimate and personal part of the scenery for both audience and artist.  Though Brézina lives in the faraway land of Ville-Marie au Témiscamingue, she will be at the Galerie for the vernissage. Vernissage Feb. 9, Galerie Rats 9 (Belgo Building, 372 Ste-Catherine W., #530), 4 p.m., free ■

By Emily Raine and Kristen Theodore

Check out our complete listings for more great performance, stage and gallery events.