Galerie C.O.A | Contemporary Art Gallery

Since opening in 2014, Galerie C.O.A has carved out a space in Montreal’s art scene for the unexpected, the unconventional, and the unapologetically different. The acronym stands for “Créateurs d’Œuvres Atypiques”—creators of atypical works—which captures the gallery’s ethos: championing artists who push against mainstream aesthetics and traditional norms, including those labeled as “outsiders” due to intellectual or physical disabilities. Their roster blends Canadian and international artists whose practices are as diverse as they are unclassifiable, from micro-sculptures to bold textile experiments. What unites them isn’t medium or genre, but a shared ability to rewire how we interpret images, materials, and meaning. C.O.A’s curatorial stance is playful but pointed, questioning the boundaries of what gets called art—and who gets to make it.