Papier reaches a milestone for its
12th edition

After taking place from April 26th to 28th at the Port of Montreal's Grand Quay, Papier burgeoned and offered visitors a full-blown twelfth edition.

The elegance and scale of the fair delighted visitors, who were able to experience a spacious venue flooded with natural light, while the innovative and airy design offered spectacular views of the city and its surrounding river. It is in this unique context that the public discovered a diverse range of contemporary art practices and could admire, for the first time at the fair, works created in a variety of mediums.

Concluding this exceptional edition, the Contemporary Art Galleries Association (AGAC) is proud to announce it will be settling at the Port of Montreal's Grand Quay. After having traveled through the city over the years to adjust to the event's constant growth, the fair has finally found a stability that will allow the organiser to plan the next edition while building on a solid foundation.

AGAC will therefore welcome the public at the Grand Quay, April 23th to 26th, 2020 for the 13th edition of the fair.

Laurent Duvernay Tardif and Vanessa Pilon, spokespersons of Papier 2019; Julie Lacroix, director of the Contemporary Art Galleries Association (AGAC); Karine Vanasse, Papier 2019 ambassador and Éric Bujold, honorary president of the fair. The artwork in the background is of Geneviève Cadieux, from the National Bank Collection.

Papier 2019 in numbers

11 000 visitors
46 Canadian galleries
more than 400 artists

10 panel discussions
7 guided tours
47 partners

Record Sales

AGAC is pleased to achieve a new record with sales of art works totalling $1.5 million at the closing of the fair on Sunday. This is an increase of 25% over last year, while sales recorded at the same time totalled 1.2 million.

Following the trends observed in 2018, the Association notes that 82% of acquisitions were made by private collectors. In addition, the proportion of sales made to new customers was slightly above 50%.

Spotlight on the National Bank Collection

AGAC warmly thanks its presenting partner, National Bank Private Banking 1859. This invaluable partnership, which has been developing for almost 10 years now, has undoubtedly contributed to make Papier the major event it is today.

"National Bank Private Banking 1859 is proud to have sponsored the Papier Art Fair for the 8^th consecutive year. The event, which is in its 12^thyear, provides a snapshot of contemporary art and attracts a host of both art lovers and experienced collectors. We’re delighted to work with Papier to showcase local artists and support them in building our collective artistic heritage," said Éric Bujold, President of National Bank Private Banking 1859.

Moreover, visitors were able to discover and admire works from the National Bank Collection in the Espace Gestion Privée located at the entrance of the fair. This was a unique opportunity to see creations often inaccessible to the public. With over 7,500 original works of art, the National Bank Collection currently ranks as one of the largest corporate collections in the country.

From the National Bank Collection: a sculpture by Valérie Blass and paintings by Beth Stuart among the works featured in the Espace Gestion privée 1859.

Educational program: activities for all

Presented by the Claudine and Stephen Bronfman Family Foundation, the educational program contributed to the vibrancy of the fair by allowing visitors to become familiar with the world of contemporary art and its current challenges. AGAC would like to remind the public that all of the panel discussions were recorded and will be available on the fair’s website starting next week.

For the first time, young art enthusiasts were able to participate in creative workshops as part of the youth program created by the Fondation Laurent Duvernay Tardif.

1. Panel Discussion "Public Art, Public Education", presented by the Claudine et Stephen Bronfman Family Foundation 2. Laurent Duvernay Tardif during a creative workshop, organized by the Fondation LDT 3. The guided tour Introduction to Collecting Contemporary Art presented by the SéminArts program.

Thank you to our ambassadors and partners

AGAC warmly thanks its spokepersons, Vanessa Pilon and Laurent Duvernay Tardif, and its ambassador, Karine Vanasse for their keen commitment. Thanks to their eloquence and enthusiasm, they were able to share their love for contemporary art with a wider audience while also allowing Papier to shine like never before.

Papier was made possible thanks to the support of our precious partners. AGAC thanks them warmly.

François Babineau, président du Conseil d'administration de l'AGAC
Je suis très content de voir tous mes collègues galeristes qui sont unanimes : c’est la meilleure édition à tous les niveaux et nous avons réussi notre pari en déménageant au Grand Quai. Merci à l’équipe de l’AGAC qui a brillamment relevé le défi que représentait cette expansion.

Claire Christie, Christie Contemporary, Toronto
I couldn’t have chosen a better first fair for the gallery — the venue of Grand Quay, the welcoming Montreal colleagues, the constant audience to the booth and AGAC's organisation made for an excellent first participation. I look forward to the next.

Dell Pohlman, art collector, Calgary
Our visit to Papier was so wonderful. AGAC did a terrific job with the fair - all the booths looked great and the new location was excellent. We were especially excited to add four new artists to our collection and we will spread the word about Papier for next year to encourage more westerners to attend.

Yvon Bourque, visiteur de la foire Papier 2019
Depuis quelques années, nous suivons l'événement et aujourd'hui nous sommes allés à l’édition 2019. Bravo ! Espace d'exposition aéré, des nouveautés et de nouvelles galeries, café, bar et espaces de repos avec vue sur le fleuve et 4 heures passées à visiter, prendre un verre, se reposer et repartir à la découverte. Le passeport 3 jours, c'est une très bonne idée.

Papier in pictures : see the Facebook album

Photo credits: Jean-Michael Seminaro

About Papier 

Created by AGAC in 2007, Papier is a key driver for Canadian contemporary art, as well as a unique meeting ground for the general public, art enthusiasts and visual arts professionals.

For the first time this year, the fair will include mediums other than works on paper, giving visitors the chance to discover and appreciate a wide range of contemporary art practices.

About AGAC

The Contemporary Art Galleries Association is a non-profit organization that actively contributes to o the dissemination and promotion of Canadian artists through its different online platforms, projects and events. The Association's primary mandate is to further develop the recognition and prosperity of the contemporary art market in Canada. The Association also fosters the public's interest in visual arts and encourages the emergence of new contemporary art collectors.

Media requests

RuGicomm - Véronique Gravel
Press relations officer
veronique@rugicomm.ca
514 759-0494 #3