In the heart of Montparnasse, in Paris, lies an exceptional building full of art and history. Beneath an immense glass roof, a 1400 m2 workshop built over 140 years ago, houses the printing presses that printed the masterpieces of artists such as Picasso, Matisse, Giacometti, Chagall, Miró and many other leading artists of the 20^th century. Today this space is dedicated to contemporary creation in the field of printing and ensures the dissemination of knowledge and know-how to the widest possible audience.

Goals

Support educational, cultural, conservation and promotional projects that will preserve the artistic, cultural and historical heritage of the Imprimerie d’Art de Montparnasse, and in particular lithography and all other printing techniques.

Activities

The funds raised will, in particular, be used to support:

• The renovation of the glass roof built in 1881, at the time of Gustave Eiffel, which provides the main source of light in the workshop.
• The return to working order of the last collotype printing press, a rare technique invented in the 19^th century, enabling photographs to be printed with exceptional results, from a glass plate matrix.
• The creation of a photogravure workshop, another rare printing technique for photographs, using a copper matrix.
• The grants to discover printing techniques for young international artists in residence at the workshop.

Myriad Canada is working with L'Imprimerie d'Art de Montparnasse on this project, a French foundation. L'Imprimerie d'Art de Montparnasse is a place of inspiration and creation, a meeting point for great French and international artists who collaborate to create editions. The printers guide the artist through unusual territories, introducing him to a multitude of possibilities, suggesting innovative and experimental techniques. The work printed by Idem is present in museum collections, international exhibitions and private and public collections. The Atelier was built in 1881 by the map printer Emile Dufrenoy who ran the studio until World War II. A new generation of contemporary artists such as Jean-Michel Alberola, Sophie Calle, JR, Izumi Kato, William Kentridge, David Lynch, Paul McCarthy and Raymond Pettibon still create here nowadays.