The story of L'Original — art gallery-atelier in Montréal
Born from a second life, carried by local artists.
L'Original started by rescuing discarded furniture on July 1st. Today it's two galleries and a platform that fund the visibility of Montreal artists.
01The origin
A second life
At first, a nonprofit with a simple idea: give a second life to the furniture and clothes left behind on July 1st, Montreal's big moving day.
City artists took hold of them to give them a new aesthetic, and a new life.
02The galleries
Two addresses, 100% local
The organization grew into two art galleries showing only local artists — above all those behind the city's great murals.
03PickArt
The Tinder of art
Every day, 3 to 5 artists come to sell their creations. So their dreams don't go unanswered, L'Original incubates PickArt: a fast match between artists and collectors.
AI optimizes the media, writes the descriptions and cross-posts the works to marketplaces to maximize Montreal artists' visibility.
Now a SaaS
200 new artists per month. Their fees fund the campaigns and infrastructure that find buyers.
Technology serving both sides of the easel.
On one side, artists with paintings to sell. On the other, collectors and businesses looking for the right piece. PickArt brings them together.
From 10,000 paintings to the one you love.
Shopping on classic marketplaces means 10,000+ paintings and real cognitive overload.
PickArt gamifies and speeds up discovery: you find your artist faster, with a more genuine connection.
Not the right piece? Order a custom onePublish once. Seen everywhere.
Artists build up stocks of paintings to sell, but reposting each work on every platform is endless work.
Our automations handle it: a single upload, and the work automatically appears where buyers are.
Less admin, more sales.
1 upload
you, just once
Marketplaces
Social media
Search engines
L'Original shop
100% automatic distribution
2017 | From the street to the gallery:
The adventure begins with love at first sight. A student just arrived from his French village lands in Montreal and falls in love with the immense murals that adorn the city. His mission then becomes obvious: to help these artists escape precariousness and make a living from their talent. Both a student and a gallery owner, the beginnings are tough. To make ends meet and pay the gallery's rent, he even ends up sleeping there. But passion eventually triumphs.
A Montreal dream :
Both a student and a gallery owner, the beginnings are tough. To make ends meet and pay the gallery's rent, he even ends up sleeping there. But passion eventually triumphs.
The rise and the tipping point
After moving to Old Montreal, the gallery experienced meteoric success. Today, Dorian is the founder of two of the highest-rated art galleries in North America.
PickArt
Artworks are flying off the shelves and artists are flocking to be represented every day, but physical space is running out. There are no more walls available. This is how PickArt was born: a digital bridge to showcase these talents online and connect them directly with their clients. Our proposal is unique (disruptive): no other platform offers the opportunity to meet the artists behind the works to design 100% custom-made paintings and murals.
The PickArt Philosophy: Rethinking our consumption
<< Like Sisyphus pushing his boulder, modern man pushes his basket. Behind the unnecessary purchase lies a genuine quest for meaning. >>
An approach to oneself and to others, rooted in reality
But how can modern man, who often knows neither how to sculpt, nor paint, nor draw, still create? Can he truly move us with a gift born from his own ideas and immortalized by the hand of an artist?
What they say about us
L'Original and La Galerie qui Amuse have caught the attention of media outlets who recognize the importance of this Montréal cultural movement.
"Reducing your ecological footprint during the holidays... the L'Original art gallery invites the public to recycle old objects and transform them into unique gifts."
La Presse · Eco-responsible Urban Art"The L'Original art gallery promises committed art, at the heart of a Montréal asserting itself as the street art capital of North America."
"L'Original pays tribute to the pioneers of Montréal urban art with a double exhibition spanning thirty years of landmark works."
"One of the most impressive urban art galleries in Canada, in the heart of Old Montréal, where old and modern meet."
Cirque du Soleil · Cultural favourite"Montréal is home to the highest concentration of artists in Canada. L'Original helps these urban talents shine locally and internationally."
Reflet de Société · Artistic footprint"The Artur app: this bold 'Tinder for art' matches artists with potential clients who love their style."
Journal de Montréal · Digital art"One of Montréal's most notable art galleries, praised by visitors for its unique atmosphere and local street art."
TripAdvisor · Visitor reviews"L'Original Art Gallery: Montréal urban street art, local art and murals at the heart of the city's creative scene."
The Main · Local street art"L'Original is a Montréal art gallery dedicated to promoting local contemporary urban artists."
Wikipedia · Cultural reference"Dorian Verdier and L'Original: a bold vision to connect artists, galleries and the Montréal public."
Le Petit Journal · Founder profile
2020 | Sisyphus lets go of his rock
Since 2020, the answer has been yes. We introduced Sisyphus to a computer. Since then, he's put down the rock and the basket to pursue his dreams and his own stories. Young Dorian used technology to build an ingenious classification system (via tags and vectors powered by passionate volunteers).
Our invention now allows us to:
Compare hundreds of artists in just 2 minutes and explore a rainbow of connections in 1001 colors and styles.
Our creators of meaning
Today, the PickArt tool is used by those who want to bring their walls to life:
- Designers: To propose custom collections perfectly adapted to their clients’ spaces.
- Families: Children celebrating and immortalizing their parents’ stories for unforgettable anniversaries.
- Organizations: Groups commissioning collaborative murals to mobilize and inspire their teams.
« To consume meaning is to burn the fire. To connect with artists is to make it grow. »
A Timeline of L’Original’s History
Explore the Timeline of L’Original to relive every significant milestone of our journey.
The First Steps of L’Original
A Citizen Project Taking Shape
Birth of a Creative Community
L’Original began in 2018 with a small team of 15 artists and 5 dedicated volunteers.
Creation of visual art and upcycling workshops held weekly, allowing the public to learn and express themselves artistically through environmentally friendly techniques.
A space for poetic dialogue and expression
Launch of a weekly poetry club to allow participants to express themselves around artworks, blending artistic creation and personal reflection.
These sessions foster lively and inclusive exchanges about art and strengthen community bonds.
Support and Guidance
Under the leadership of Dorian Verdier, an 18-year-old student in economics and marketing at HEC Montréal, L’Original structured itself from the very beginning with a strong social foundation. With the support of Jason Prince from PME Montréal and the mentorship of Robert Dutton, director of the entrepreneurial hub at HEC Montréal, L’Original gained essential guidance for its growth.
The First Steps of L’Original
A Citizen Project Taking Shape
Birth of a Creative Community
L’Original began in 2018 with a small team of 15 artists and 5 dedicated volunteers.
Creation of visual art and upcycling workshops held weekly, allowing the public to learn and express themselves artistically through environmentally friendly techniques.
They talk about us
Further reading
Educational articles drawn from the master's thesis of our founder, Dorian Verdier (M.Sc., HEC Montréal, 2024), on the theories that shape how we think about art.
- The democratization of art: making art accessible to everyone
- The aura of the original: Walter Benjamin in the age of digital and AI
- Taste as a social marker: Bourdieu and cultural capital
- Why do we love art? The psychology behind our preferences
- The culture industry: when art becomes a commodity
- Co-creating art: the IKEA effect and citizen engagement