Montreal’s contemporary art museum will be hosting an exhibit later this year devoted to the life and work of Leonard Cohen, one that was conceived with the late singer-songwriter’s blessing.
“We wanted to make sure that Leonard would not be against an exhibition like this, because we know he has a certain humility and we didn’t want to overstep our welcome,'' said museum director and chief curator John Zeppetelli.
Zeppetelli said organizers heard back from Cohen’s longtime manager, Robert Kory, who mentioned the artist was delighted with the strategy behind “Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything.'’
What is planned is a five-month exhibition inspired by Cohen’s music, poetry, and artwork that will include installations combining visual art, music, writing, and virtual reality by artists from 10 countries.
It is slated to open to the public Nov. 9 and run until early April 2018. Cohen died last Nov. 7 but his death was only announced a few days later.
Among the dozens lending their talents to the exhibit are renowned U.S. visual artist Jenny Holzer, South African artist Candice Breitz, and Montreal filmmaker Kara Blake.
Musicians including Ariane Moffatt with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Moby, Jarvis Cocker, Jean Leloup and The National will record covers of Cohen classics strictly for the exhibit.
