Background and Origins of Artur: The Original

L’Original: a vision for democratizing art, together and differently

Mission

Since its creation, L’Original art galleries have pursued an ambitious goal: to make art accessible and transformative by placing it at the heart of our social and environmental concerns. By democratizing art, L’Original aims to highlight the talents of artists while raising ecological awareness in everyone.

Ecological and social commitment

Since its inception, L’Original art galleries have pursued an ambitious goal: to make art both accessible and transformative by placing it at the heart of our social and environmental concerns. By democratizing art, L’Original seeks to showcase the talents of artists while fostering ecological awareness in everyone.

A Timeline of L’Original’s History

Explore the Timeline of L’Original to relive every significant milestone of our journey.

2018-2019: The First Steps of L’Original

2019: From Initiative to Official Status

Artur and L’Original: Two Distinct Entities

Two forces united to democratize art

Artur: An International Vision

The First Steps of L’Original (2018-2019) :

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.

Organisation de collectes de vêtements, meubles et peintures destinés à être jetés, transformant les matériaux récupérés en nouvelles œuvres d’art.

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.

From Initiative to Official Status (2019)

Consolidation and Early Partnerships

Legalization

In 2019, L’Original became a non-profit organization, solidifying its long-term commitment to democratizing art and fostering ecological awareness through creation.

Community Expansion

The team grew with 25 artists and 10 volunteers, enabling the expansion of activities and increasing the community impact.
Development of a multilingual website to promote L’Original’s artists internationally, providing a digital platform for Canadian talent.

First Exhibitions and Media Coverage

Thanks to initial media partnerships, L’Original began gaining recognition in the local art scene, sparking interest and enthusiasm among many art enthusiasts.
L’Original started attracting media attention, sharing its values and commitment with a broader audience.

Artur and L’Original

Private Enterprise and Non-Profit Organization: Two Distinct but Complementary Missions

Two paths,

one shared commitment to

art and community

Artur

Innovation for broad accessibility

By choosing the private company model, Artur is responding to an ambition for rapid growth and technological development to make art accessible on a global scale. The business structure enables Artur to invest continuously in innovations and services powered by artificial intelligence, designed to enrich the user experience and extend the reach of art to as many people as possible.

Access to private funding and the resources of the technology market has enabled Artur to expand rapidly, offering unique creative tools that can be accessed from anywhere in the world. This model offers the agility essential to adapting to the growing needs of a public in search of artistic co-creation and personalization.

Greater accessibility thanks to AI innovations :

By operating as a private company, Artur can reduce the costs of distributing art, particularly online, and offer artists new platforms for visibility without the constraints of a physical gallery. Artur’s mission is to democratize the arts through economic accessibility, making artworks more affordable and giving artists greater independence.

Two Forces

United to Democratize Art

Artur and L'Original embody two complementary approaches to the democratization of art:

Artur exploits technological advancements for large-scale dissemination and accessibility, while L’Original focuses on human connection, sustainability, and local creation. By combining Artur’s agility with L’Original’s community impact, these two entities are building a world where art becomes both a collective good and an accessible field of innovation. Artur thus takes flight as a separate entity starting in 2020.

AI and Art: Between Rivalry and Collaboration

Today’s rapidly evolving technologies place artificial intelligence (AI) at the heart of the artistic creation process, raising both new opportunities and fundamental questions. For artists, AI is both a source of inspiration and an unpredictable competitor, capable of creating works in a matter of seconds, where years of learning and experience were once required. This duality questions the very identity of art and its methods of production.

By positioning itself as a creative actor, AI redefines the limits of art, but at the cost of a palpable tension between authenticity and automation. The fundamental question then remains: can art created by algorithms bear the human imprint, or does it remain a prisoner of its automated logic?

A Timeline of the History of L'Original

Explore the Timeline of L’Original to relive each significant milestone of our journey.
2018-2019: From Initiative to Official Status
2019: From Initiative to Official Status
Artur and L’Original: Two Distinct Forces
Two Forces United to Democratize Art
2018-2019: From Initiative to Official Status

The Power of Landscapes and Portraits

Imagine a beautiful landscape capturing the beauty of the sea and sky, or a touching portrait of your loyal dog. Each piece is more than just a 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.

Artistic Engagement for Social and Cultural Impact

Educational and Cultural Impact

Artur.art does not simply sell works of art, it educates and raises awareness about the value of art. Each interaction with the platform is an opportunity to learn and develop a deeper appreciation of art. By engaging users in a process of reflection and co-creation, Artur.art contributes to a more thoughtful and inclusive artistic culture.

The Custom Art: A Sustainable and Creative Investment

Democratizing Art Through Economic Accessibility
The economic democratization of art involves making artistic creation tools accessible to all socio-economic 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 about artistic opportunities, platforms can serve as cultural relays that connect citizens to various co-creation initiatives.
Reducing the Impact of Standardization in Digital Art
The integration of AI art tools and automated printing systems has significantly lowered the cost of producing unique artworks. However, this reduction in cost and time can also lead to the standardization of art, where personalization is lost. To prevent this, it is crucial to redirect the capital generated by AI-assisted processes towards enhancing human creativity. Initiatives such as DIY artistic projects, which have shown to produce a high state of flow and engagement, can foster a deeper connection between the artist and the audience.
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Art and Personality for Personalized Democratization

Each person will experience their first encounter with an artwork differently depending on their psychology. Isabel Briggs Myers and her mother, Katharine Cook Briggs, developed the MBTI (Myers Briggs, 1921), based on the theories of Carl Gustav Jung on psychological types, used to evaluate and categorize individual psychological preferences according to different dimensions. We can look at this segmentation to try to understand how personality types may influence our aesthetic preferences, and thus open different paths of appreciation for art based on one’s psychological profile. The MBTI as an analytical unit is controversial. Personally, I believe it is an interesting entry point to view and interpret the various relationships between art and the psychology of the individual.
Individuals with a preference for Sensation (S) tend to appreciate art that features concrete details, textures, and tangible visual elements. These artworks, often rich in precision and meticulousness, capture their attention through the clarity of the elements that compose them. In contrast, those with a preference for Intuition (N) are generally drawn to abstract, conceptual, or symbolic art. These works, less focused on concrete details, invite broader interpretations and reflection, stimulating imagination and creative thinking.

To go further:

Access our research on the democratization of art in a digital context. Download our thesis to dive into the details of this in-depth research.

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French version only

The Diversity of Art

At Artur.art, we offer a varied range of styles, from Impressionism to conceptual and symbolic, including narrative representations of figures, landscapes, and animals such as birds. Whether you’re drawn to conceptual works or Impressionist pieces, our artists will capture your vision.

Conclusion

Artur.art is more than just an art platform, it’s a movement toward the democratization of art. Give a gift that makes you cry, engage in a meaningful creative process, and support local artists. Together, let’s make every moment of life a masterpiece.