by CHRISTINE REDFERN

You may have spotted the Mois de la Photo poster around town. The image is a detail of Jonathan Plante's photograph of a crowd at the Louvre starring intently at the Mona Lisa. The image is apt because the role of the spectator is central to the thinking behind curator Martha Langford's selection of works for this year's theme, "Image & Imagination." She has brought together a wide range of images from 19th-century studio portraiture to contemporary digital innovations, and now it's your turn to add your imagination.

The 29 exhibitions that make up this edition of Le Mois are spread throughout Montreal's art spaces, galleries and museums. A slew of openings kick off this evening, Sept. 8, and continue over the next week. Tonight, there's a bus available to ferry you around between the following venues from 5–8:30 p.m., and these exhibitions will all be on display for some time yet.

Michael Snow's much-touted exhibition Windows opens at Galerie de l'UQÀM. Unstilled Lives at Concordia's Ellen Gallery showcases work by Australian aboriginal artist Destiny Deacon, alongside local Evergon, who shows a collection of photographs of "gay sexist" objects culled from his home. Alain Bublex at Maison de la Culture Frontenac presents the fabulous history of an Eastern Canadian town called Glooscap, with 17th-century maps and present-day images. Just don't be inspired to jump in a car and go visit this area, because it is entirely fictitious. Art Mûr presents David Hlynsky's Rosebud as well as the group exhibition Little Histories of Modern Art, which features Holly King and several others.

Trading Places includes the very humorous series of photos by Michael Ensminger [see interview on p. 10]. The photos show Ensminger, looking like a homeless person, holding up cardboard signs of protest and appeal to the public. My personal favourite reads, "Need a double mocha frothy almond latte." Also part of Trading Places is Annu Palakunnathu Matthew's series of photographic diptychs, where she pairs an early 20th-century photograph of an American aboriginal person beside one she has taken. For example, an old photo entitled "American Indian Wearing a Flag" is beside her image entitled "Indian American wearing a Flag as a Sari." It's true that the old images reflect the misconceptions and racism of the day, but somehow they remain for me more powerful than the contemporary tongue-in-cheek images by Matthew.

The final destination tonight is the Bain Mathieu (2915 Ontario E.), where, from 9 p.m. on, is the opening party for Oil and Water by Michael Flomen, Evan Lee and Laura Millard. The Mois keeps on rolling for the next 30 days with more openings, talks and a two-day conference. As Martha Langford says, go see which works are the "gold keys" and which are the "underdone potatoes" for your imagination.

Le Mois de la photo runs until Oct. 10 in art spaces around town. Visit www.moisdelaphoto.com for schedules and info