Two by Two, Together exhibition forges deeper connections

The art of dialogue through art’s duality.
Paintings and sculptures from the Two by Two, Together exhibition Museum of Fine Arts. Photo by Ginane Deslauriers

The Museum of Fine Arts showcases pieces from its new collection in its latest exhibition, Two by Two, Together, to stimulate dialogue about the art’s themes, format, period, and interpretation.

“The concept is that the visit should be done with someone, either a relative or a friend,” explained security guard Ahmed Benkhalifa. “It creates a bond between two people that come to see the exhibition.”

The exhibition presents a collection of 80 art pieces the museum has acquired over the past five years from all over the world and from underrepresented, marginalized artists. Most works are presented in pairs to stimulate discussion between visitors about the illustrated themes, format, history, medium, and more.

“Maybe [it allows us] to compare or demonstrate different points of view,” reflected visitor Iana Brezeky. “Or things that are very similar but don’t communicate the same thing.”

The exhibition aligns with the museum’s efforts to strengthen the relationship between different cultures. It offers visitors from different backgrounds the opportunity to feel connected and represented through the curated artwork. 

While the works are paired based on similarities, what they have in common isn’t always obvious.

Nicole McGee, an undergraduate student in art history at Université du Québec à Montréal, mentioned a pairing of two still-life paintings — one from the 18th century and another more modern piece — saying it is not an obvious choice as both are a different representation of still-life.

“It really is more about showing the non-changing in humanity,” she said. “At the same time, there’s an evolution, too; there is something that brings us back to the basics.”

She believes that pairing artworks together represents the continuity of representation and history of art. McGee’s idea of duality and continuity aligned with Brezeky’s interpretation of the pieces. 

“We’re talking about forests, we’re talking about the night… I have the impression that on the right it’s a bit more peaceful than on the left because there are characters that seem a bit, or funny, or scary,” said Brezeky. “The red sky is often a sunset or fire.”

The painting, Natives Playing on the Land by Cowichan/Syilx First Nation artist Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun, is featured next to Nicolas Party’s Paysage to contrast the cultural backgrounds and the artists’ unique experiences, interpretations, and connections to nature.

“Putting these two paintings together enhances them,” said McGee. “[They] are not in competition, they are complementary. I think that they highlight each other.”

The Two by Two, Together exhibition’s main goal is to stimulate conversation so that what the artworks convey ultimately remains subjective to all.

The exhibition will be open at the Museum of Fine Arts until Oct. 5, 2025.

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