Griffin Art Projects opens the new year by offering the public a first look at a selection of works from two influential Montreal collectors in Embodied Conversations: The Lillian and Billy Mauer Collection, on view from January 31th to May 10th. The Mauer’s extensive collection holds more than 400 works by over 300 Canadian and international artists, this exhibition will present roughly 40 pieces that reflect the depth and breadth of artistic practices that have captured their interest since they began collecting more than four decades ago.
C-Print 16 x 20 in. Lillian and Billy Mauer Collection
“The exhibition title draws from Lillian’s love of nurturing sustained conversations in the art world — which has led to a rich, ongoing discourse with artists, gallerists, and curators that has driven her and Billy’s acquisitions over the years,” says guest curator Lesley Johnstone. “The exhibition asks on a philosophical level what is going on in the art scene and, politically, socially, environmentally, in the world at large. There is a quiet reserve in many of the works in the Mauer collection, as well as a generosity of spirit, resolve, gravitas, and an inspiring level of engagement that reflects their care and intention.”
Known for her influence on the contemporary art scene in Montreal, running Lillian Mauer Contemporary Art from 1978 to 1990 and participating in many Museum boards and committees. The Mauer’s began collecting in 1980 and over the past 45 years, they have built a collection with a central interest in works that examine the human condition and artists who shed light on society through their social and political engagement.
19 x 10 x 10 in., Dimension 2: 47 1/4 x 11 3/4 x 11 3/4 in.: Base Lillian and Billy Mauer Collection
Photo Credit: Tom Van Eynde; Courtesy of Thomas Schütte Studio
This exhibition features several works by iconic Black American artists. Carrie Mae Weems’s You Became a Scientific Profile appropriates historical photographs commissioned by a Harvard University scientist that were meant to support racist theories. Lorna Simpson’s photographic diptych Outline juxtaposes everyday words with photographs to evoke the lived Black experience. And Lorraine O’Grady’s Art Is… photographs (above) of the 1983 African-American Day Parade in Harlem, in which she invited onlookers into the art-making experience, are a prominent part of the presentation.
The collection also highlights other themes, including Portraiture, which most explicitly expresses the human condition, is represented with works by Moyra Davey, Nan Goldin, Alice Neel, Cindy Sherman, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Purvis Young, and more. Sculpture, featured pieces of note include a knitted painting by Rosemarie Trockel, a woven work by Carole Bove, and an assemblage by Thomas Schütte. Additional highlights include the Mauer’s first and most recent acquisitions: a Frank Stella print purchased in 1980 and a green “egg work” by Belgian poet and artist Marcel Broodthaers.
Embodied Conversations: The Lillian and Billy Mauer Collection, on view from January 31 to May 10, 2026 at Griffin Art Projects, 1174 Welch St, North Vancouver. For more information, visit griffinartprojects.ca/upcoming-exhibitions.