PHI

My partner was interested in the KEIKEN exhibition and we decided to pass by the day before it ended. It was a Saturday with heavy rain and our experience trying to figure it out wasn't great: - We received instructions on how to get there the day before, however the map showed 3 different buildings/entrances and no indication which one to go to. - After entering the first and then second one, we were directed to the third one that was finally the right one. - Once there, we were surprised at the line up and with the exhibition recommendation of 1 hour, we were worried that we wouldn't be able to see everything. The staff also said it might be tight and we might miss things. - However the main exhibition itself was only 4 minutes with a side room for a cheap looking video game that itself lasted 45 minutes (only 1 person can play). While the main one was very unique and interesting like experience, the video game itself wasn't anything impressive, especially with all the crazy good artistic games you can find on the market nowadays. I wish they made things clearer on how everything works at PHI as it would have made the experience more enjoyable. We also saw multiple people leave the line thinking it would take forever, but in reality, everyone can easily go through it. I'm a big fan of artistic exhibitions, but when I see things like this, I can't help but feel there's much better experiences you can find in the world. Whether it's worth the money or not is a whole other debate though.

A very nice museum. Get a season pass if you are local, so you can drop by anytime you want wed-sunday

I went to Fondation PHI once for a special limited art event and it was really cool. The staff knows there stuff well and they are really professional. I went with a bunch of friends and the experience was amazing. The tour was maybe 2h and we learned a lot about the history of the artist, her personal life and challenges so it was very inspiring.

The Yayoi Kusama exposition was just simply amazing and I loved every bit of it. The place is not hard to find and well located. The staff is super friendly as well.

An art gallery that is worth the visit. Unique and intriguing art pieces. There was an excellent selection of pieces that although had no description attached, we had a tour guide named Jay who made the experience memorable. He explained things with a passion sometimes absent from tour guides and went above and beyond to create an immersive experience. As one who has always been skeptical about modern art, Jay was wonderful in finally convincing me to appreciate it. Overall, it was a worthwhile visit that I would recommend, as it is completely free exhibit in exchange for a priceless experience.

Saw the Lee Bae exhibit here in June. Beautiful space and beautifully curated art. It would have been quite a challenge setting up the exhibit with the artist remotely directing from another country because of the travel restrictions, but the gallery did a wonderful job presenting the art.

Interesting small but multi floored contemporary art venue. The small size of each floor adds an air of intimacy which worked well for the exhibition on during my visit.

The Kusama exhibit was worth the multiple attempts and several hours spent trying to get a ticket. Staff were very friendly and accommodating, especially when I discovered I had accidentally deleted my eticket the morning of my scheduled visit. I was quickly reissued a ticket after calling PHI for assistance. I've visited two infinity mirror rooms previously, in Toronto and Boston, and loved that the two rooms in this experience were enjoyed individually and not as part of a group like the others I have been to. Was also my first time seeing Kusama's pumpkins in person. Thank you to the PHI Foundation for bringing this free exhibit to Montréal.

Found this place online. It's a hidden wonder in old Montreal! Good website but called to make complicated reservations. Spoke with an incredibly helpful and kind person. Combination tickets (reasonably priced) gave us access to two Kusama installations in one historic building and six Virtual Reality videos in another a few blocks away. Amazing VR! - for the quality/creativity of the videos and the international mix of creators and content. Very helpful/considerate staff make the experience a delight. Will go back for more.

While I might be able to eat my way through Montreal, my family could use a little break between meals and snacks to absorb a bit of culture. We took in the fabulously creepy Bill Viola show, and then walked a few doors down to take in another exhibition all about gifts. What I should have done was read the notes about the show, because when a woman came up to me offering me "her gift of song" I politely refused. Look. I'm from New York. And I was in China relatively recently, where really nice people ask if they can speak English with you over tea, and then they con you out of lots of money. But that woman was actually part of the exhibition. My bad. Fortunately, we were able to experience her gift of song a few minutes later as she performed some kind of aria in front of some painted money bags on the fourth floor. It's a small gallery. But the art was great. And you can't beat free. Especially when you are just looking for something to do in between meals. But in all seriousness, if you're in the area, and have a few minutes to spare, check out the Bill Viola installation. His work is mesmerizing.

A lovely gallery showing, and what's more, it's free. This space is in Old Montreal amidst the cobbled streets & stone buildings. It's not huge, but it has 4 floors to view as well as another floor a few doors down. I was lucky to see the installation work by Joan Jonas, whose work showed at the 2015 Venice Biennale. I'm not sure how artists are selected for this space, but I was very pleased with what I saw here.

Went for the Cory Arcangel exhibit, which was a highlight of a trip to Montreal. DHC/ART has plenty of room to show things in distinct spaces. The staff are all helpful and professional, and they pick good things to show. Though I wouldn't suspect it would be true for everyone, I found the large projection and audio of out of phase Guns and Roses far more mentally soothing than the cathedral of Notre Dame. (This part only applies to the current show which is there until November 24, 2013.) Oh, and it's legitimately free, so just go see all of the things. I mean, it's a gallery, so you could probably potentially set up a purchase, but it doesn't really come up when you're there or anything.