Remai Modern — Attraction in Saskatoon

I’d like to say that my visit to the Remais Modern was a huge success. I certainly had high expectations from what I’d heard from my enthusiastic hosts. But In the event my wife and I were really frustrated and disappointed by its pretentiousness, exclusiveness, confusing layout and overall inaccessibility. Reading reviews from New York and similar centres of culture I wondered whether this was a serious case of the emperor’s clothes where no one was willing to say what was really on their minds for fear of appearing ignorant to their peers or politically incorrect. Starting with arriving to an extremely cramped underground parking lot which was almost impossible to negotiate if cars were coming the other way, I was shocked at the excessively wasteful spaciousness of the main levels. Three hugely underemployed front desk staff took payments from the odd patron but offered no direction or guidance. The two brochures were either scant to the point of useless or crammed with information not particularly useful. Finding the scant brochure layout confusing I asked the first attendant for general directions to which he curtly replied: “I cannot.” Period! So my guest and I headed for the Picasso Gallery as the thought of seeing this artist’s work drew us there first. This we found was not his work but merely the name of the gallery. The works there were sort of interesting but reminded me often of my father’s comment: “what is that supposed to be?” Sparsely worded labels gave scant detail, often posted many feet from the work itself, and often positioned in clusters which made identifying the link between each confusing piece of art and its pretentiously worded description consistently confusing to the average person in the street. Behind a sound proof curtain a movie was playing to a couple of people. About what, who could say? Were we in the beginning, the middle or near the end. Who could tell. Another 100-seat theatre with zero patrons was running a partially frozen screen movie with an error message on the screen. The Picasso prints themselves were fine - when we found them in another gallery. But the link to some other artist on the door going in was so pretentiously (sorry, that word again!) worded I had to read it three times to fathom what the writer was trying to say. Nearby, in the vast hallway were two TV screens propped at odd angles against a low support. Some sort of program was blaring from their oddly angled screens but again it was noisy, confusing and hard to figure what all was happening. Was it for the benefit of children who were (not) frequenting the adjoining uninviting children’s area. Having been in some form of communications much of my life this seemed a classic case of self-congratulatory art patrons spending millions on making art elitist and inaccessible to Joe Public. By this time we were desperate to get a break and eat. The restaurant was another hugely elitist place with a highly priced lunch menu. That would have been OK -as we were not wanting to drive and re-park - were it not for the sun blasting in through high unshaded windows and nerve-grinding non-musical sounds creating “atmosphere.” Beating a retreat to another eatery we explained to the hostess that it was that very dentist-drill atmospheric sounds that were driving us away. As a visitor from out of town who has been to London, New York and other major galleries over a long life time, I was hesitant to share my misgivings with my local hosts. But they too held similar views below the surface of local pride and patriotism. I think this gallery could be amazing for Saskatoon if it stopped trying to be so over the top elitist and consequently disappointing and in accessible to the average public. I would just add, on reading other reviews, that the managers have missed the 101 social media review opportunity of replying to...

So I have travelled quite a lot and have seen many art galleries, some of the greatest in the world and some hidden ones. And I myself am an artist with my work having been at the Mendel Art Gallery and others, so after finally being able to park near the Remai Modern I thought I would check it out.

After an astonishing $24 for the two of us to get in, I was expecting something magnificent.

I don't want to seem to trash this gallery, but a little foreshadowing, I felt so ripped off, let down and robbed. The art showcase was a joke, the artist was not only terrible, his work inspired no thought, showed no creativity and generally the more I saw the more I hoped it would be over. But nope, it kept going. Perhaps I am not a modern art guru like others in Saskatoon but when I see art I like to feel inspired, in awe and really taken in. The main showcase seemed more like a backyard junkyard with underwear put on old car parts. The artist was even nice enough to include his old mud filled buckets with stinky rags in it. Perhaps his sign of what was more to come.

There was one room that actually had some art in it, art where you can tell there was talent and effort working hand in hand. All 8-10 paintings.

The Picasso lithographs were never a big draw for art collectors other than the name of the artist, there are a handful here. Nothing like the Picasso art you would see in his better known works.

So my experience, this is terrible. The best art is the building itself. To charge people this much to have such a bad experience, it really takes away from the artists who put effort in. What really caught me off guard was when I heard it being a world class facility?! Perhaps those who feel this way should travel more. Art is in the eye of the beholder, but this is really pushing it.

We finished off for food at Shift. It really went hand in hand with the art experience. The food was bland, unseasoned and tasteless. Boiled potatoes tossed on a hot plate quickly, burnt toast with no butter or jam. I thought it was a joke and out server appeared to be under the influence of something. The server was kind enough to talk to us for 5 minutes about all the bad reviews but that there was a Shift in Toronto. Somehow that is supposed to make me think its good. They try to be upper scale but I can't see this lasting either. Perhaps Chef Dale McKay can turn it around once the newness of this...

First of all finding the Remai was a nightmare among all of the construction currently happening in that area of the city. After finding it and parking in the underground parkade, which could also use more signage, we finally found our way inside. The attendants at the front desk were not busy as there was no one else there at the time but still could not provide clear information. They told us if we wanted to just visit the front floor it was free. I have no idea why they would think that expressing interest in the galleries we would want to visit whatever the exhibit on the first floor was supposed to be. The room was filled with people listening to a speaker when we peaked in so we decided just to go upstairs. The security was quite rude to my mom as she tried to head upstairs and instead of just asking for her ticket he blocked her way similar to what you would do with a child. Upstairs the galleries were unimpressive especially without any information on them. I believe again this could have been the fault of the admissions desk as they didn't tell us there was any information to do as self guided tour and there certainly was not much information in the galleries. Again the security was rude to my mom who has balance issues and simply pressed a finger against the wall, a blank wall not close to any art, he immediately scolded her that it was not allowed. I would like to see a schedule of when the films restart to actually catch the whole film but could not see that information anywhere either. If you are going to visit I would try to get I tour I guess. I am not sure if this gallery is meant to be directed only at older, wealthy crowds of patrons but it sure feels that way. Especially if you are with children or teens I would not waste the time or money to come. As another note my mother and I have both been involved with our local art communities and do enjoy galleries usually but modern art in the styles at the Remai need context, history, SOMETHING and we did not have enough information to find the value...