À toi, de moi – Notre rencontre à travers les arts imprimés

Exhibition (space 105)
March 13 — April 5, 2025

Opening Reception (space 105)
March 13, from 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM

Discussion on Printmaking in South Korea and Canada, followed by a guided tour of the exhibition with the Korean artists and members of the Atelier Circulaire (space 105)
March 14, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Printmaking Demonstrations with the Korean artists and members of the Atelier Circulaire (space 517)
March 15, from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Click here to consult the exhibition catalog

After a first exhibition in Seoul last November, Atelier Circulaire is pleased to host the second installment of À toi, de moi – Notre rencontre à travers les arts imprimés, an international exchange project bringing together 12 Quebec artists and 12 South Korean artists from the Korean Contemporary Printmakers Association.

Curated by Korean artist Se-Eun An, this exhibition, which features 36 works, explores the richness of collaborative creation in printmaking. For this second edition, highlighting new productions, it will reflect the evolution of interactions between participants over the past months.
From March 13 to April 5, 2025, the Galerie de l’Atelier Circulaire will become a special space where Quebec and South Korean artists will meet through printmaking. Several members of the Korean Contemporary Printmakers Association will travel to represent their cohort and participate in mediation and dialogue activities with the Montreal public.

This second installment offers a unique opportunity to explore the diverse realities of printmaking practices in both countries and to celebrate printmaking as a medium for sharing and transmission.

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Throughout our lives, we experience countless encounters and farewells. In an interconnected world, both offline and online, how do we influence one another’s lives and leave lasting impressions? This question lies at the heart of the collaborative exhibition Me to You, You to Me – Our Encounter through Printmaking, presented by Atelier Circulaire in Montreal and the Korean Contemporary Printmakers Association in Seoul, South Korea.

Artists from two countries, who had never met in person, connected through mail, exchanging prints in a way reminiscent of pen pals—a practice that is now largely forgotten. In an era where information circulates instantly and communication is constant, this slower, more personal exchange was made possible by the mutual commitment of the artists to understand and appreciate each other's work. Despite not knowing one another beforehand, they entrusted their pieces to strangers in another country, united by the shared language of printmaking.

In an age where digital prints are ubiquitous and artificial intelligence plays an increasing role in artistic creation, printmaking might seem like a thing of the past. However, printmaking has long demonstrated its modernity, understanding the nature of the image early on and making art more accessible by prioritizing reproduction over singular originality. This exhibition invites us to revisit the meaning of the printed arts and reflect on their future, at a time when the multiplication of images has become easy and varied.

While digital prints are ubiquitous and artificial intelligence plays an increasing role in artistic creation, printmaking might seem to belong to the past. Yet, it has long demonstrated its modernity by understanding the nature of the image early on and making art more accessible by prioritizing the reproduction of works over unique originality. This exhibition invites us to revisit the meaning of printmaking and reflect on its future, at a time when the proliferation of images has become easy and diverse.

Last November, at the Sophora Gallery, collaborative pieces were presented, which had been sent a few months earlier by the Montreal artists to be completed by the Korean artists. This exhibition was not just a simple exchange of artworks between two countries; it provided an opportunity for artists from different cultures to engage in a profound dialogue through printmaking.

The exhibition in Montreal extends and deepens these exchanges and collaborations. The collaborative works, this time completed by the artists of Atelier Circulaire based on works sent by their Korean counterparts, respond to the exhibition in Seoul. They illustrate how artists with diverse backgrounds and experiences can come together to bring a shared artistic vision to life.

Drawing on the experience in Seoul, the Montreal exhibition will expand this space for dialogue by raising essential questions about how art connects different cultures and individuals. Thanks to this ongoing exchange and collaboration, the goal is to grow together and harness the power of art to enrich and affirm each individual’s unique existence.

By sharing their works and forging meaningful connections, these exhibitions in Seoul and Montreal seek to go beyond a mere one-time exchange. They aim to maintain a lasting dialogue and deepen collective artistic research through various forms of collaboration. This evolving relationship will contribute to the creation of a global artistic community, paving the way for the shared development of artists from diverse cultures. This project will thus serve as a valuable starting point for sustainable artistic cooperation, supported by exchanges that will continue to grow and enrich one another.

An Se-eun (Artist, Curator)