Our Ambitions

Vie des arts is the first French-language magazine devoted to the visual arts to be published in Canada. With a focus on education and information, the magazine publishes accessible, original articles on a variety of subjects that reflect the field of contemporary art in Quebec and Canada. Its editorial policy highlights production by artists in the context of the most significant issues of our times and is addressed to a broad public in the hope of supporting a critical sense about and overall appreciation of contemporary art. Vie des arts publishes four issues per year and maintains a multiplatform presence.

Talking about art: This, simply, is what we do. A magazine is, by nature, anchored in language—both written and visual—and the union of the two cannot replace the experiencing of an artwork in its context; rather, it proceeds from a moving process that seeks to provoke thought. In our pages, we devote the space needed to continue the discussion that artists start with their works, as we strongly believe that talking about art connects great ideas to the very foundations of reality. 

For us, this dialogue is essential and core to our values: art doesn’t float above reality but is interwoven with it, confronts it, references it. As a cultural medium, we choose to present, in an accessible context, relevant subjects that evince responsibility through their content and in consideration for our readers. If you are reading these lines, it’s because you no doubt share these values, as well as our profound conviction that art can offer us what few things are able to generate: a bit of time to think differently.

Responsibility. Considering the role of the media in circulating correct information, our editorial content highlights authors whose writing takes into account their responsibility to readers: to provide up-to-date information with original, ethical points of view focusing on debates over ideas.

Creativity. Considering that forms of writing on art and art criticism are fluid and contingent, our editorial content highlights hybrid and innovative forms of writing that contribute to thinking of art criticism in today’s context. The angles used by authors to address a subject, an artwork, or an artist are creative and engaged in writing as both a communication and a creative tool.

Currency. Considering the important archive that is being built in real time through the magazine’s multiplatform publications, our editorial content highlights a view on the historicity of art and discourses to be in sync with the current times and offer content that goes beyond the usual places. Each subject is addressed in such a way as to respond to and anticipate today’s most significant issues.

Founded in 1956, Vie des arts was originally published as a booklet. The magazine is incorporated under the name La Vie des Arts, a company whose objective is to explore all art disciplines in order to democratize Quebec culture: the idea is to bring comprehension of art to a broad public and to spread knowledge of the multiplicity of forms of art. The magazine is published mainly in French, with an English-language section.

Vie des arts, a non-profit organization, is administered by a board of directors that meets four times a year.

Member of the SODEP (www.sodep.qc.ca)
Member of Magazines Canada – CMPA (www.magazinescanada.ca)