Skyscrapers by the Roots MAC exhibition
Visual Arts

The complex legacy of modernism is explored in the MAC exhibition Skyscrapers by the Roots

by Savannah Stewart

“Structures that were once symbols of progress are now deeply entwined with the blurring of private life, labour, consumption and spectacle.”

The new exhibition at Montreal’s Musée d’art contemporain (MAC), Skyscrapers by the Roots, explores the lasting impact of late modernist architecture through works by Shannon Bool, Kapwani Kiwanga, Rachel Rose, Jonathan Schouela and a new film installation by David Hartt, alongside 1960s and 1970s pieces by Lynne Cohen and François Dallegret.

The group exhibition examines how functionalism and technological innovation shaped climate-controlled interiors, modular design, accessibility and media integration — once symbols of progress, now deeply entwined with the blurring of private life, labour, consumption and spectacle. Through a critical lens, it reflects on modernism’s complex legacy in contemporary spaces.

Skyscrapers by the Roots is at the MAC (Place Ville-Marie) from March 6 to Aug. 10

The complex legacy of modernism is explored in the MAC exhibition Skyscrapers by the Roots

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Posted in Visual Arts

by Savannah Stewart

Contributing editor for Arts
Savannah Stewart is a freelance journalist and Managing Editor at The Rover. She is passionate about community reporting and is happiest writing about art, language and culture in Montreal.