Yet, for all its sonic flourishes and upbeat tempos, Clerel’s music is deceptively melancholy; a closer listen reveals his lyrical tendency toward nostalgia and heartbreak. It makes sense, though, when we remember that an urgent affinity for American soul music was the catalyst for his art to begin with.

Thierry-Maxime Loriot is a relative newcomer in curatorial circles. The former model turned curator has become a foremost expert at the intersection of fashion and art. The world premiere of Thierry Mugler: Couturissime on show at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is another of Loriot’s blockbuster exhibitions.