Director-General and Curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art Montreal, John Zipitelli, announced to his team on Tuesday that he will leave his position in 2024.
The museum announced on Facebook that John Zipitelli, who headed the MAC for more than 10 years, made the announcement in the presence of his team.
“For more than 10 years, John has put his great passion for art, his great love for artists and his remarkable audacity at the service of the Foundation. Thanks to him, MAC has presented extraordinary exhibitions, in particular Teresa Margulies: Mundus And Leonard Cohen: A breach in everything. Recently, it received a MAC Contagion of terrorism (Contagion of terrorism) from the Forensic Research Group in London, in collaboration with acclaimed documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras. »
The MAC team continues to spread the word by also mentioning current exhibitions of Pussy Riot and Jeremy Shaw.
He was also keen to facilitate access to art through many educational activities directed at diverse audiences, and contributed to enriching the museum’s collection through the acquisition of wonderful works. Recently, he launched the museum’s ambitious architectural transformation project. We thank John for his wonderful contribution to MAC history.
MAC Team, in a Facebook post
In his memo announcing his departure, John Zipitelli indicated that he was leaving his position to “explore new possibilities.”
“I am convinced that the Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art will continue to thrive and develop under his new leadership, with the support of an exceptional and dedicated Board of Directors. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the dedicated and passionate staff, the amazing artists and the dynamic community who have transformed almost every moment I spend at the Museum into something extraordinary. Together we have cultivated a space that not only stimulates and delights, but also challenges and confronts – a space rooted in the complexities of the world.”
Museum transformation
Consequently, John Zipitelli will not see the transformation works of the MAC being carried out under his supervision, despite plans in this direction, which have been taking shape since 2014. The most recent of these plans were implemented by the architecture firms Saucier+Perrotte and GLCRM Architectes in 2017 .., but the budget allocated for its implementation was constantly revised, especially due to overheating in the construction sector.
This year, both federal and provincial government increased their involvement, increasing the budget from $44 million in 2018 to $116.5 million. The call for bids is currently ongoing. But despite this huge amount, Journalism It was revealed last September that according to construction program, The surface area of the galleries will increase by only 28%.
MAC’s Board of Directors, led by businessman Alexandre Taiver during almost the entire term of John Zipitelli, has been chaired by Claudie Emplo Chagnon since the summer of 2022.I Emplo-Chagnon, who has been associated with the Blex law firm since last July, was supposed to facilitate or even accelerate the completion of the museum’s conversion work.
MAC moved into the commercial premises at Place Ville Marie in 2021, moving most of its permanent collection to the current building. If work begins next spring, the museum could reopen at the end of 2026.
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