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"Creatives dictate this city": Inside 20 years of the Montreal designer fair SOUK

The roaming showcase of Montreal designers' work—both recognized and not—and the exceptional modern lifestyle objects they create for the everyday.

J.P. Karwacki

J.P. Karwacki

November 28, 2023- Read time: 7 min
"Creatives dictate this city": Inside 20 years of the Montreal designer fair SOUKAkorana, one of the designers featured in the 19th edition of SOUK. | Photograph: MOODSHOTS DESIGNERS © Arseni Khamzin

Montreal is a city by and for designers.

There are, however, only so many events, fairs, collections, curations, platforms, and festivals that are capable of harnessing the currents that flow from its wellspring of creativity—and then there’s SOUK.

What started in 2003 is now in its 19th edition, but its essence remains intact: A near-annual curated selection of Montreal’s designers—both recognized and not—and the exceptional modern lifestyle objects they create for the everyday.

Named for the bazaars of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond, SOUK has since its first iteration been a roaming non-profit event where Montreal collects and enters a deep discourse around the creative thinking of artists that call it home.

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