The former Executive Director of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Natalie Bondel, is returning … in Paris

Almost a year after her brutal expulsion from the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA), Natalie Bondel is returning to the world of museums. On Friday, she was appointed Director of the Museums and Exhibitions Department at the Institute for the Arab World (IMA) in Paris.

M^I Bondel will head a new division in this cultural space that presents itself as an interdisciplinary space that “cultivates a true dialogue between the Arab world, France and Europe”. It is the former French Minister of Culture, Jacques Lang, who chairs the IMA.

“In her stature, she will help Natalie Bondel to further our international dimension,” said Mr. Lang in a press release published on Friday. “A figure deeply committed to the civic and social mission of museums [Nathalie Bondil] It will help amplify our business in the area of ​​inclusion, artistic and cultural education. “

Through her stature, Natalie Bondil will help further our international dimension

M^I Bondel will “be responsible for the design and implementation of the new IMA Museum, the development of its collections and the influence of its exhibitions as well as their travel around the world,” as Jacques Lange defines. In an email exchange with duty, Natalie Bondell said she was “really honored” to join this team. “The educational, social and multicultural mission of IMA brings together the most essential values ​​that we deeply share,” she said.

To m^I Bondel, this is a return to the French capital. She graduated in art history from the Louvre School in 1994, and worked for two years at the Musée des Monuments Français before being appointed as the European Art Curator in Montreal in 1999. She became Senior Curator the following year, and Director General in 2007.

Work environment

But his career came to a halt last July. The MMFA board fired her for allowing a toxic business climate to develop within the Montreal Cultural Foundation. The case caused a stir, as it plunged the museum into a crisis that would lead to a declared reform of its governance – and the law relating to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

The audience – and the Minister of Culture, Natalie Roy – learned with some surprise, the dismissal of the master.^I Bondel. But many revelations from Task It showed that the crisis had already been brewing for several months. An independent report detailing business climate issues was also submitted to the Board of Directors in early 2020.

Another report, commissioned this time by the Quebec government, concluded that “the board of directors acted in good faith.” [dans le dossier Bondil], By prioritizing the interests of the MMFA and making a commitment to comply with its obligations to employees. “

Pursuit

Last September, Natalie Bondel filed a $ 2 million lawsuit against all members of the MMFA board of directors. She claimed a million in moral damages and another million in disciplinary damages.

In this endeavor, M.^I Bondil claimed that the council’s “false and defamatory remarks” had destroyed the reputation for commitment and distinction built through decades of efforts and achievements in community service and society. The museum. ”Seven months before her appointment with the Institute of Management Accountants, she also confirmed that her reputation had been” irreparably destroyed, “and then the sums were claimed.

In their response to this lawsuit, the defendants painted a harsh picture of Natalie Bondel’s management style. His “refusal to acknowledge the magnitude of the problematic situation regarding the workplace, which has persisted for years in the museum, has become inconsistent with the mission of the museum and has raised legal and humanitarian issues for the museum and its staff,” including we support.

Natalie Bondil is still being paid by the MMFA until the end of her contract, in June, and she will join the IMA on 1^{he is} May.

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