Looking back on the 2025 edition
Thank you all for coming out in such great numbers for this year’s FAIMTL!
Here’s a visual recap of the highlights from this year’s edition:
Pica Magazine Presentation at Livart — April 29
On April 29, the public had the chance to discover the work of the artists and designers behind Pica magazine through a presentation held at Livart centered on the latest issue of this major design publication for emerging talents in Montréal. The event featured works published in the latest issue in the form of a pop-up exhibition. Artist books, installations, photographs, sculptures, and even outdoor projections in Livart’s courtyard were showcased. The exhibition was accompanied by a sale of the magazine and various related merchandise — keychains, t-shirts, and hoodies — at the entrance.
Jachères: Presentation of Michelle Lasalle’s Recent Research — May 1st
Michelle LaSalle, a multidisciplinary artist exploring print and its spatial deployment, shared her creative process and the results of a residency she completed at Atelier Circulaire during a presentation at Zocalo Artist Center. The event also included a live demonstration of an engraving print.
À Flots magazine presentation at Union Française — May 1
On May 1 at 7pm, À Flots, an interdisciplinary student magazine, presented the works of artists featured in its third issue, dedicated to the theme of Chance. The pop-up exhibition took place at the Union Française and showcased visual art and installations. A reading of excerpts from the latest issue was held at 8:30 PM, followed by a screening of short films also featured in the magazine.
Jason Urban & Leslie Mutchler: Fraktur Fire and Elemental Inventories & Atelier Circulaire Tour — May 2
Atelier Circulaire hosted a one-hour guided tour of Fraktur Fire and Elemental Inventories, the new exhibition by Jason Urban and Leslie Mutchler in their gallery (space 105).
The tour continued with an exclusive look at the large print production studio on the 5th floor (space 517). Thank you to Sylvestre and Carlos for the tour!
Guided Visit at daphne Centre — May 2
Following the presentation at Atelier Circulaire, a visit took place from 3 to 4 PM at the daphne center, the only Indigenous artist-run center in Tiohtià:ke. The visit explored the creation of the center and its mission to promote the work of Indigenous artists while creating a respectful and critical space for dialogue between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities around art.
Fractured Pop-Up Collages Workshop at Arprim — May 3
This free two-hour workshop led by Emilie Kvist, inspired by Morgan Melenka’s approach, invited participants to create their own architectural landscapes and then fracture them into pop-ups based on concepts of fragmented visual space. The workshop was extremely popular — so much so that some participants ended up working on the floor as the four tables provided were quickly filled! A big thank-you to Emilie for her pedagogic spirit and patience!
Finissage of Reculez un peu by Bosny — May 4
The public was invited to enjoy the final day of Reculez un peu, an exhibition by multidisciplinary artist Bosny exploring the construction and deconstruction of the image, particularly through the use of distance as a compositional variable.
Prints for Palestine at Casa del Popolo — May 6
On May 6, the public was invited to discover woodcut and screen printing techniques with local printmakers Kiva Tanya Stimac (Popolo Press) and Todd Stewart (breeree) at Casa del Popolo. Participants were invited to print designs in support of Palestine on posters or their own accessories. The fundraising event successfully raised over $500 for the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF), thanks to the public’s active participation. Thank you all!
Concordia MFA Students Vernissage at A. Piroir — May 7
On May 6, a tour and presentation of Atelier-Galerie A. Piroir took place, followed by the vernissage of Marks & Messages II, an exhibition of print explorations by MFA students from Concordia.
Participating MFA students: Célia Beauchesne, Mélanie Garcia, Alexey Lazarev, Mel Saumure, Nathalie Sereda-Bazinet, Saba Sharifi, Nadia Svirsky, and Yuki Tam.
RECORDs & PRINTS! : Expo & Pop-Up Print Sale at Bar Le Record — May 7
This year, we spotlighted local poster designers and print artists with a small pop-up sale at Bar Le Record, a vinyl bar in Villeray known for its music collection from the 1940s to today.
In addition to the sale, each artist left one of their works on display in the bar for a month alongside posters from the FAIMTL archive collection.
Participating artists: Dorsa Afshin, Kaël Mercader, Shawn Cotton, Neltje Green, Béatrice Falby & Ramona Hallemans.
Queer Print Club Presentation at ARCMTL — May 8
A presentation of the Queer Print Club, its work and mission by Micha and Mia at the ARCMTL archives.
Working in Printmaking, Discussion at ARCMTL — May 8
Moderated by longtime Montréal-based artist and poster maker Billy Mavreas, Working in Printmaking was a discussion with three local artists who’ve built careers in printmaking: JG (Material Group), Ray Biesinger, and Todd Stewart. They shared their motivations and the challenges of sustaining an art practice, including discussions on burnout. They exchanged ideas on how artists in the print field can build sustainable careers in the digital age. The talk was followed by a presentation of selected printed works from the ARCMTL archives. It was recorded live and is available as a podcast.
Dreamed Bodies, Lived Bodies — Presentation & Workshop — May 8
On May 8, L’imprimerie invited the public to discover the co-created research of Caroline Boileau and Adeline Rognon during their artist residency. Titled Dreamed Bodies, Lived Bodies, their project explored the relationship between body and memory through paper, experimenting with formats such as sculptural books, bindings, and 3D folds. The talk focused on their creative motivations, the role of sketchbooks and journaling, and the importance of observation and experimentation in their process.
A practical workshop followed, allowing participants to explore various paper construction techniques inspired by pop-up books.
The GRANDE Printed Art Fair — May 10
In 2025, the BIG Print Art Fair was held for the first time at the Afromusée, just steps away from Berri-UQAM metro station.
Check the “Exhibitors” tab to find out who was featured this year.
The GRANDE EXPO of the Montreal Printed Arts Festival : Vernissage & Closing Party — May 10
For the first time in the festival’s history, the GRANDE EXPO FAIMTL was held immediately after the GRANDE at the Afromusée, just a few steps away, at Bar Le Cheval Blanc. This event served as the festival’s closing celebration and featured the launch of a series of mini risograph prints specially created for Distroboto machines: the Risoboto series. The mini-series featured illustrations by Jade Bressan, Gabor Bata, Alexandra Lamudio, and C.A. Gauthier, printed by the No Gloss studio.
On the walls of Le Cheval Blanc, we also exhibited work by some of Montréal’s most prominent print artists, including Caro Caron, Pat Hamou, Kiva Stimac, and Raymond Biesinger.
