Foil Gallery challenges the traditional art gallery model in Mile-Ex

Over the years, the digital artists Frédéric Duquette (@fvckrender) and Jo-Anie Charland (@__baeige__) originally hailing from Magog, Quebec built a strong following across Canada and internationally.

After an extended stay in Vancouver, they returned to Montreal with a vision: to leverage their international audience and shine a much-deserved spotlight on the incredible talent in the city’s thriving arts scene with Foil Gallery, opened in Mile-Ex in early February 2025.

Not just white walls

There’s a conscious twist at Foil Gallery that sets it apart from traditional spaces. “We asked ourselves,” says Duquette, “how can we break the current art gallery structure?”

The answer came from their own experiences navigating the often-elitist vibe so famously encountered in art spaces. Consider the British auction house Christie's, says Duquette, which feels, “pretentious” and, “unwelcoming.”