Artur: The Original
Democratizing art through innovation and ecological commitment
Since 2019, the gallery-studio in Saint-Denis / Mont-Royal and the art gallery in Saint-Paul have become local ambassadors with international reach. The organization orchestrates activities in synergy with MURAL, the comic festival, Under Pressure, the Museum of Fine Arts, and more. These two vibrant spaces are recognized by tourists on TripAdvisor as the 3rd top tourist activity in all of Montreal.
Founded in 2024 by Dorian Verdier, Artur.art is an interactive website hosted by L'Original that reinvents the connection between citizens and independent artists. Inspired by Tinder's 'swipe' mechanism and powered by artificial intelligence, this social impact enterprise enables each user to purchase and create custom artwork — posters, paintings, or mural frescoes.
Artur stimulates local economies in the decoration and gift market rather than relying on massive imports of manufactured products, while celebrating precarious living artistic heritage. Create your own symbols rather than consume brands. This ethical use of AI offers artists a fair and transparent compensation model and now leads the internationalization and commercialization of L'Original galleries.
The IKEA effect
We value more what we help to create. Applied to art, this becomes an ecological and symbolic lever...
We consume, but we no longer create — and yet
Among human activities, art offers one of the best ratios between deep fulfillment and carbon footprint...
Mission
Since its inception, L’Original art galleries have pursued an ambitious goal: to make art both accessible and transformative by placing it back at the heart of our social and environmental concerns. By democratizing art, L’Original aims to showcase artists’ talents while raising everyone’s ecological awareness.
A start grounded in reality
Dorian Verdier founded L’Original to respond to a concrete frustration...
The Power of Landscapes & Portraits
Imagine a beautiful landscape capturing the sea and the sky, or a touching portrait of your loyal dog. Each work is more than a simple painting—it’s a piece of your story told through art. Our artists can transform memorable photos into portraits, capturing precise moments and sincere emotions.
Return on Investment
Art is not only a financial return on investment, but also a cultural and emotional one. Owning an original, custom-made work of art enriches your personal heritage and strengthens your identity and social status. Artists from Montreal, Vancouver, and Toronto bring their unique vision to each project, making each piece a one-of-a-kind treasure.
Democratizing Art through Economic Accessibility
The economic democratization of art involves making the tools of artistic creation accessible to all socioeconomic classes. This can be achieved by providing equal access to online tools and platforms, ensuring that everyone can participate in the artistic creation process. By presenting engaging and well-structured information on artistic opportunities, platforms can act as cultural relays that connect citizens to various co-creation initiatives.
Personalized Art: A Sustainable and Creative Investment
Each person will experience their first encounter with a work of art differently based on their psyche. Isabel Briggs Myers and her mother, Katharine Cook Briggs, developed the MBTI (Myers Briggs, 1921), based on Carl Gustav Jung's theories of psychological types, which is used to assess and categorize individual psychological preferences across different dimensions. We can examine this segmentation to try to understand how personality types may influence our aesthetic preferences, thereby opening different pathways for appreciating art based on one’s psychological profile. The MBTI as a unit of analysis is contested. Personally, I consider it an interesting starting point for observing and interpreting the various relationships between art and the psychology of the citizen. Individuals with a preference for Sensing (S) would tend to appreciate art that presents concrete details, textures, and tangible visual elements. These works, often rich in precision and meticulousness, capture their attention through the clarity of their components. Conversely, those with a preference for Intuition (N) are generally drawn to abstract art. These works, less focused on concrete details, invite broader interpretations and reflection, stimulating imagination and creative thinking.
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.