Stepping into the Beaux-Arts style 1700 La Poste feels like stepping back in time and stepping into the capacious mind of the art gallery’s founder, Isabelle de Mévius. The art gallery curates solo exhibits of major contemporary artists, in a space that is beautiful and suited to all sorts of shows. It is a bright cultural light in a rapidly developing part of the city, Griffintown.

I’ve seen two shows at the gallery: a very personal retrospective of Quebec’s Raymonde April, a magnificent photographer of the past four decades. April’s photos invited you into her life – intimate, or expansive.

More recently, Jannick Deslaurier’s installations. Deslaurier’s show features large sculptures combining polyester, tulle, and wires to form delicate, somewhat broken-down forms of pianos, typewriters, and other household objects. In the main gallery space, she is showing forms that feel as if they’ve been struck by bombs: prams, swing sets, and others. The show is troubling and thought-provoking during a time of war in Ukraine.

1700 La Poste exhibits are free to the public, and very well curated by Isabelle de Mévieus and her team. The converted post office is worth a visit on its own.