Exploring Montréal’s Art Circuit

Sharp Staff September 11, 2024

Range Rover & SHARP

Artistic expression in Montréal is both a legacy and a living experiment. Contemporary art flourishes in all its forms, offering inspiration to aficionados of all stripes. Galleries often spring from old structures that echo with new energy, so there’s always something new to discover. So, let’s set out and discover a little of what the city has to offer.

In the Cultural Core

Start at Quartier des Spectacles. The Belgo Building is the base camp for Canada’s largest concentration of contemporary art galleries, centres and studios. Developed in 1912 as a department store, it’s now home to more than 20 art spaces, from retail racks to art stacks.

For example, VOX is a venue for experimentation, research and presentation – a think tank for the visually curious, with large-scale exhibitions that reinterpret contemporary and historical art through post-media image-making. Meanwhile, ELLEPHANT tackles social, environmental and tech themes. Acclaimed Canadian artists imagine alternative realities and futures, working across analog, digital, handmade and immersive mediums.

Be sure to make stops in Golden Square Mile and Cité du Multimédia. Pangée’s playful, critical programming promotes dialogue between different artistic practices. Materiality and personal narratives are the priority. Find it in the century-old former Czech Consulate – a cultural exchange of the finest kind.

Be sure to visit Fonderie Darling, which inhabits a forgotten metal casting foundry, repurposed in 1993 as an early industrial heritage recycling success – 38,000 square feet of space dedicated to visual arts. That’s a lot of room for creativity.

End your tour of the core in Old Montréal. Admission to the PHI Foundation for Contemporary Art is free. Their belief: art is for everyone. (Think: open doors, open minds.) Inclusive programming ensures accessibility for all.

Galerie LeRoyer, meanwhile, highlights Canadian, international and secondary market artists. Its historic 1887 Neo-Gothic home once served as a textile and dry goods warehouse. Old walls, new stories.

Finally, check out Galerie Bloom’s comprehensive art experience: vibrant paintings, evocative sculptures and other innovative works. Art that commands attention.

Creative Powerhouses in Quartiers du Canal

Go to Griffintown to check out Arsenal Contemporary Art. It takes up residence in an 80,000-square-foot address on the Lachine Canal’s north bank, formerly a 19th-century shipyard. (Art docks here now.) Exhibitions feature international and local artists, curated in-house or by guests.

Blouin Division co-exists in conjunction. The Galerie René Blouin and Galerie Division collab represents leading Canadian contemporary artists with works in museums and major collections. It’s one of Canada’s largest and most respected galleries. Big space, bigger rep.

Next, slide into Saint-Henri and breeze through Little Burgundy. Bradley Ertaskiran champions emerging and mid-career artists, emphasizing contemporary innovation. The gallery was founded by Galerie Antoine Ertaskiran’s founder and a Parisian Laundry alum. It’s a dynamic duo at work. They operate two distinct spaces within a 15,000-square-foot renovated industrial building.

1700 La Poste, meanwhile, occupies an old post office, completely transformed by architect Luc Laporte in his final project. It has hosted 20-plus artists across Québec and beyond. From snail mail to creative crossroads.

Influential Artistic Hubs

Launch from Le Plateau. Pierre-François Ouellette relocated to Rachel Street nearly a decade ago. Multidisciplinary artists explore social, cultural and symbolic phenomena. Art meets edge.

For its part, Patrick Mikhail Gallery introduces new works by women artists and supports emerging international contemporary talents. Galerie Simon Blais promotes Post-War Canadian art, particularly Québec modern abstract painting, and fresh perspectives flourish. At articule, interdisciplinary and social engagement encourage experimentation and risk-taking. It’s art with a dash of daring.

Finally, march into Mile End. Atelier Circulaire is passionate about printmaking. A system of movable walls offer its artists ample hanging space, so there’s always room for more art.

OPTICA, Dazibao, and Occurrence each began focused on photography, before expanding to encompass broader multimedia and image-based practices. From snap shots to big shots.

With Centre Clark and Diagonale, the galleries constitute the De Gaspé Complex, a major Mile End artistic centre, while daphne is Montréal’s first-ever Indigenous artist-run centre. Interactive, immersive exhibitions spotlight First Nations’ history, knowledge and culture. Navigate living narratives.

There’s a reason why Montréal is considered to be one of the most influential art spaces on the planet. You’ll certainly never be short of choices when it comes to an inspirational art expedition.

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