Embodied Conversations: The Lillian and Billy Mauer Collection

January 31, 2026 - May 10, 2026

Curated by Lesley Johnstone

An exhibition of approximately 40 works from the collection of Montreal collectors, Lillian and Billy Mauer. Including photography, paintings and sculptures from this impressive international collection by artists such as by Carrie May Weems, Lorraine O’Grady, John Baldessari, Rosemarie Trockel, Doug Aitken, Tatiana Trouvé, Huma Bhabha, Frank Bowling, Betty Goodwin, and Annette Messager. Often drawn to politically and socially engaged art, the exhibition will present a selection of works which represent the breadth of the collection. 

Lillian Mauer is the Founder of Art Speaks, a series of conversations and conferences by international artists and thinkers intended to provoke and stimulate thought and further our understanding of the world through the lens of contemporary art.

From 1978 to 1990 Lillian operated her gallery, Lillian Mauer Contemporary Art, showcasing Canadian and American artists working in multiple media. Years of collecting and being enriched by her experiences in the arts, both local and international, created a desire to share her interest with the Montreal community. Her involvement with museum boards in Canada, the US and Europe has strengthened her understanding that art can affect social change.

Lesley Johnstone is an independent curator and consultant. She was curator and then Director, Curatorial affairs at Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal (MAC) from 2007 to 2024. At the MAC she curated over 40 solo and group exhibitions including Mika Rottenberg, Julian Rosefeldt, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Valérie Blass, Patrick Bernatchez, Francine Savard, Tino Sehgal, Eve Sussman and Liz Magor.

Johnstone was co-curator of In Search of Expo 67, of the 2014 Montreal Biennale and the 2011 Québec Triennial. Johnstone was previously Artistic Director of the International Garden Festival at the Jardins de Métis and Head of Publications at the Canadian Centre for Architecture. Lesley Johnstone has written many catalogue texts and has edited of a number of anthologies, exhibition catalogues and monographs on contemporary Canadian art. She is the president of the Board of Administration of MOMENTA Biennale d’art contemporain.

Image (Above): Sascha Braunig, Giantess (2018). Nickel-plated bronze; 10 x 15 x 23 in.; Lillian and Billy Mauer Collection. Photo Charles Benton.

We thank North Vancouver Recreation & Culture and the Freybe Foundation for their generous sponsorship of our programs and exhibitions.