Papier isn't just Montreal's biggest art fair on paper – Montreal Gazette

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Montreal’s biggest contemporary art fair celebrates its 15th edition — and in a way, its last — Friday to Sunday at the Grand Quai in the Old Port. Next year, Papier will be called something else.

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The event has evolved. Over the past decade and a half, it has gone from an intimate showcase for a handful of local galleries to the toast of the city’s contemporary art scene, the can’t-miss happening to take in the latest offerings by the top artists represented by the top galleries from Montreal and the rest of Canada.

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Papier has transformed from a free affair in which 17 galleries once drew 2,500 people to Westmount Square over a few days to a ticketed event with 40 galleries attracting 10,000 art lovers of all stripes, from casual fans to seasoned collectors. And it has gone from showing only works on paper to paintings, photography and more.

“The word ‘papier’ has become a bit of a crutch,” said Dominique Toutant, director of Galerie Blouin | Division and the recently appointed co-president of the board of directors for the Association des galleries d’art contemporain, which organizes Papier.

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“It’s no longer just paper,” he continued. “We let galleries have other types of works. It’s become an art fair like all the others, with all mediums, where galleries have a choice.”

In the early days, the spotlight on works on paper provided a hook for the event. It also helped keep prices down, in order to attract members of the general public less familiar with the art world. But as the fair gained popularity and sales soared, there was less and less reason to stick to the original script. Over the past few years, gallerists were quietly allowed to show works on more than just paper. So changing the name at this point is little more than a technicality, albeit an important one.

“It will be easier to understand” what the fair is about, Toutant said. “It’s hard to say there are works on more than just paper when the event is called Papier.”

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The success of Papier is a testament to the health of Montreal’s contemporary art scene, according to Toutant, as is the fact that the fair has reached a point where it doesn’t need a gimmick to get people through the doors.

“It shows the maturity of the Quebec and Canadian art market,” Toutant said.

Art fairs are all the rage these days, with world-famous gatherings like Art Basel (in Switzerland, Miami, Hong Kong and now Paris) and Frieze in London attracting throngs from around the world.

Canada has its own contenders. Although Papier is not as big as Art Toronto, it’s getting noticed. Ultimately, it’s about providing a platform for Montreal galleries to attract Montrealers.

“Some passionate collectors from Toronto will come see us (this) weekend, sure,” Toutant said, “just like some Quebecers go to Toronto. But except for big art fairs in places like Miami, New York or London, it’s usually the local market that is most active.”

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For Montrealers this weekend, Papier is the place to be.

“Papier has cachet,” Toutant said. “There’s something about Montreal. All kinds of people come. You see less variety elsewhere. There’s something in Montreal’s DNA, our culture, that is unique. It’s great to see. People are curious. They want to see what’s happening.”

Julie Lacroix calls Papier the “economic engine” for Montreal’s contemporary art galleries.

“It was conceived that way,” said Lacroix, director of the Association des galleries d’art contemporain. “It’s a time each year for the milieu to come together — the galleries, collectors, experts and curators.”

Papier now garners approximately $1.5 million in sales, up from $700,000 in 2013.

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“It’s like a celebration when someone buys an artwork,” said Lacroix, who fondly recalls the thrill she experienced selling art while working in commercial galleries around the city. “Everyone says, ‘Congratulations!’ It’s like buying a house — it’s good news. It’s wonderful to tell the artist you’ve sold their work to this person, who will be putting it up in their home. There’s a real joy in that, in helping someone, in contributing to the socio-economic conditions of artists.”

Ever since those days, Lacroix has made it her mission to “de-complexify” the purchase of art — “to make it easier, and make it accessible to everyone.”

Of the 40 Canadian galleries showing works this year at Papier, 16 are from outside Quebec. Aside from galleries, the fair will also show works by the winners of this year’s Claudine and Stephen Bronfman Fellowship in Contemporary Art: Concordia’s Diyar Mayil and UQAM’s Rémi Belliveau.

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Usually Papier is held in April, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the fair in 2020, followed by a belated edition in November 2021. That made going back to spring this year a bit too tight; rather than skip a year, gallerists voted for the late-August slot as a one-off.

“This is really the only time we’ll hold the fair in the summer,” Lacroix said, noting there will be an outdoor terrasse for the first time. “It’s exciting, in a way.”

AT A GLANCE

The Papier art fair takes place Friday, Aug. 26 to Sunday, Aug. 28 at the Grand Quai in the Old Port. For tickets and more information, visit papiermontreal.com.

tdunlevy@postmedia.com

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