The Colours of India

India through Suzanne Held’s eyes

Photo by Suzanne Held

In many ways Pointe-à-Callière marks the spot where this city’s history began, and recalls a time when Montreal’s founders shared a sometimes tenuous, sometimes friendly relationship with the Indians… or at least what they thought were Indians. Early Europeans thought that this landmass might have been either China, hence the town name Lachine, or India, arrived at through the elusive North-West Passage. So it’s fitting that the museum that stands on this spot and bears its name would hold an exclusive exhibit called The Colours of India.

Earlier this year Prime Minister Stephen Harper inaugurated The Year of India in Canada. “Our country,” Harper said, “is home to a vibrant, nearly one-million strong, Indo-Canadian community that plays a vital role in Canada's economic and cultural landscape. This Year will provide an excellent opportunity to showcase India's colourful culture and traditions while strengthening connections between our two countries.”

It is in this spirit that Pointe-à-Callière, Montreal’s Museum of Archaeology and Culture, presents this vibrant exhibit comprising a generous collection of photographs by Suzanne Held. And then, of course, there is the beautiful collection of Indian artifacts brought over from the Musée National des Arts Asiatiques Guimet - in Paris.

Suzanne Held is a world-renowned photojournalist who immerses herself in the culture of her subjects. She’s been to India at least 40 times, and has come away with strong, emotional impressions, and an impressive photo album. India, she says, “is a hymn to colour, grace, and aesthetics.” She celebrates the great generosity of the Indian people, saying “despite their troubles, they always give the very best of themselves to welcome strangers.” The current exhibit gives museum visitors the opportunity to see India through Held’s eyes.

Photo by Alain Vandal

The Musee National des Arts Asiatiques Guimet in Paris opened in 1879, and bears the name of the French industrialist and lover of all things eastern, Emile Guimet, whose impressive collection made up the musée’s first exhibit.

In The Colours of India a multi-media component guides you through a plethora of objects, some dating back to the 2nd century A.D. Sculpture and other objets d’art, terra cotta, and of course clothing.

The exhibit continues at Pointe-à-Callière through to the end of next April.

Throughout the month of December, by the way, the museum invites you to their annual exhibit Who is The Real Santa Claus?, a look at different holiday traditions around the world, and an exploration of Father Christmas, or Père Noël in French, through the ages.