Montreal cements its status as an essential design pilgrimage with Habitat 67, but beyond that blocky landmark lies another major attraction: one of North America’s largest portfolios of decorative arts and design, held by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. When it came time for the gallery to reinstall this collection — housed in the brutalist Liliane and David M. Stewart Pavilion, by architect Fred David Lebensold — it turned to Rachel Gotlieb, founding curator of Toronto’s Design Exchange (as well as the curator of “Canadian Modern” at the ROM back in 2022). Her challenge: Chart global design history in a mere 800 objects. 

The resulting permanent exhibition,...