Residents of Parc Extension will soon have the chance to explore two striking photographic universes under one roof. From December 3 to January 25, the Maison de la culture de Parc-Extension will present Six Steps and The Show Must Go On, a joint exhibition featuring the work of two notable Montreal photographers, Do Phan Hoi and Yang Shi.
The exhibition is accessible to the public for nearly two months. Visitors will be able to discover two deeply different but complementary artistic visions, each rooted in the vibrancy and diversity of Montreal’s cultural scene.
Street Dance in Six Frames
Six Steps, created by Montreal multidisciplinary artist Do Phan Hoi, is a photographic project commissioned by the JOAT International Street Dance Festival and co-produced by Danse Danse. Shot entirely in black and white, the series immerses viewers in the world of the dancers who have shaped Quebec’s street dance landscape. Each portrait focuses on presence, texture, and physical intensity, capturing the essence of an art form built on movement, struggle, and identity.
Do Phan Hoi is known for bridging photography, dance, and videodance. A self-taught artist from Montreal, he joined Los Angeles’s Funny Bones Crew in 2014 and later founded Playground Studio in 2022. The studio supports artists and cultural organizations and reflects Do Phan Hoi’s steady engagement with community-driven initiatives. Over the years he has collaborated with prominent institutions including Agora de la danse, Tangente, Danse Danse, ebnfloh, 100Lux, WAFD, Margie Gillis, and the JOAT Festival.
For Park Extension residents, Six Steps also offers a rare look at how urban dance, often rooted in immigrant and working-class neighbourhoods, has become a powerful cultural force in Quebec.
Fear, Stage Presence, and Daily Life
Running parallel to this is The Show Must Go On, a photographic series by Montreal-based creative director, photographer, and author Yang Shi. Her images explore the emotional terrain that links the performance stage to the unspoken anxieties of everyday life. The series draws inspiration from Shi’s background in fashion, design, and advertising and uses the spotlight as a metaphor for vulnerability and transformation.
Shi, who was born in China and has lived in Montreal for more than a decade, has built her career by embracing the perspective of the outsider. Her work is recognized for its attention to cultural intersections and for its visual storytelling that questions habits and expectations. Her experience across multiple creative industries gives her photographs a cinematic, almost editorial quality.
Curated with Community in Mind
The double exhibition is part of the programming developed by curator-in-residence Claudia Chan Tak, a multidisciplinary artist well known for her commitment to community engagement and cultural accessibility. Her curatorial approach consistently highlights the intersection of artistic practice with the lived realities of Montreal’s diverse neighbourhoods, making this exhibition particularly relevant for Parc Extension.
Chan Tak will also lead an accompanied visit with photographer Do Phan Hoi on January 24 at 1:30 p.m. The visit requires advance registration, but admission to the exhibition itself does not. Residents may drop in at any time during opening hours throughout the exhibition period.
A Winter Visit Worth Planning
Six Steps invites viewers into the raw, kinetic world of street dance, while The Show Must Go On turns the lens inward toward the fragile moments that define the human experience.
The Maison de la culture de Parc-Extension will host the exhibition until January 25, and the full cultural program is available on the Ville de Montréal website.
