On the walls: art you need to see this week

“Stanley Dog,” by Jana Sterbak, on display at Maison de la Culture Frontenac as part of Mois de la photo.

While most of the galleries were closed over the summer, the drought has officially ended with a deluge of new shows, gallery openings and vernissages this week. Here are a few you should know about.

The biannual Mois de la photo kicks off this week, with 25 exhibits at 13 venues around town. The Drone is the theme for this year’s edition, guest curated by British photographer Paul Wombell, which looks at at different forms of automated imagery. The festival brings in some of the biggest names in contemporary photography, from at home and abroad, including shows by Elina Brotherus (at Optica), Raphael Dellaporta’s documentation of Afghanistan’s post-war ruins (at Centre Skol), EXPVISLAB’s collaborative digital photography experiments (at VOX) and Trevor Paglan’s portraits of drone tech and military intelligence equipment (at SBC). Mois de la photo runs Sept. 5–Oct. 5 at various venues; check out the fest’s complete program for more info and vernissage dates.

The annual World Press Photo exhibition also kicked off this week, bringing together the best of photojournalism from the last year to provide compelling a snapshot of current events around the world. The award-winning photos will be on display through Sept. 29; this is one of the highlights of the Montreal arts season, so don’t miss out. Marché Bonsecours (325 de la Commune), open 10 a.m.–10 p.m. daily, $10-$12

Guillermo Trejo’s Protesta is a politically inspired exhibition that explores the relationships between revolution, print media and time, as part of a series looking at the printed language in public spaces. Vernissage Sept. 6, ARPRIM (Belgo Building, 372 Ste-Catherine, #426), 5:30 p.m., free 

For a very different art experience, check out Studio Beluga’s PROGRESSION, site-specific outdoor installations by artists Cam Novak, Fred Cordier and Joanathan Bessaci. Sept. 7, in the garden behind 16 St-Viateur W., alleyway entrance, 5–10 p.m., free

The art world goes meta in David Tomas’ Consigned for Auction, a two-part show which explores the intersections between art and commerce in the space of the art auction. The first part of the exhibition runs through Oct. 26, and there will also be a screening of The Great Contemporary Art Bubble documentary Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. Vernissage Sept. 7, ARTEXTE (2 Ste-Catherine E. #301), 3 p.m., free

Égalité des doits is a new show by feminist artist Virginie Jourdain, a collection of monographs exploring sexuality, gender and reactionary politics. Vernissage Sept. 7, Rats 9 (Belgo Building, 372 Ste-Catherine W., #530), 6 p.m., free

Finally, step out of the gallery sphere to check out the dioramas and dolls that make up the child-inspired aesthetic of Cara Carmina, who will display her work in the Atelier B. space. Vernissage Sept. 10 5–7 p.m., free ■