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Montréal Times

RACINES MIVILLE Galerie ROCCIA Opens Sept 10, 2026

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Winona Liu
Winona Liu
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RACINES MIVILLE Galerie ROCCIA opens in Old Montréal on September 10, 2026, signaling a notable convergence of sculpture, painting, and paper sculpture within Galerie ROCCIA’s long-running program. The show’s premiere on September 17, 2026 coincides with the gallery’s 17th anniversary, underscoring a moment of institutional continuity and artistic renewal in Montréal’s contemporary art scene. The exhibition runs through October 11, 2026, featuring roughly a dozen new works by MIVILLE, along with a large suspended paper sculpture crafted specifically for RACINES. This opening narrative, anchored in verifiable dates and works, provides readers with a concrete snapshot of Montréal’s current art-market activity and the career arc of a prominent ROCCIA artist. Montreal Times has centered data-driven context around this event to illuminate its significance for artists, galleries, and the local cultural economy. According to Galerie ROCCIA’s official announcements, RACINES marks a pivotal return for MIVILLE to the gallery that has long supported her practice. The opening night, highlighted in gallery communications, occurred on September 17, 2026, when the artist presented new work to an audience that included peers, collectors, and press. The event’s schedule and participants reflect the gallery’s ongoing strategy to couple immersive material exploration with intimate, gallery-based reception culture. The show’s timeline and content are documented in gallery releases and artist pages, and they frame a broader conversation about how Montréal’s private galleries curate risk-taking, research-driven displays in a post-pandemic cultural economy. Montreal Times will continue to monitor attendance trends, funding signals, and audience engagement as RACINES unfolds in the weeks ahead. In short, RACINES MIVILLE Galerie ROCCIA is not just a single exhibition; it’s a test case for how Montreal’s mid-sized galleries sustain audience growth through artist partnerships and ambitious install experiences. The opening period—Sept. 10 through Oct. 11—offers a 32-day window for visitors to engage with a body of work that cross-pollinates painting, matter-based practice, and large-scale paper sculpture, a combination that has defined MIVILLE’s collaborative approach in recent ROCCIA presentations. Montréal Times note: this 32-day window is derived from the official dates provided by Galerie ROCCIA (Sept 10–Oct 11, 2026) and the opening-night schedule (Sept 17, 2026). (andredesjardins.com)

What Happened

Announcement and timeline

On September 10, 2026, RACINES — MIVILLE was officially announced as a new body of work to be installed at Galerie ROCCIA, home to a long-standing collaboration with the artist MIVILLE. The gallery described RACINES as a continuation of an inquiry into “matter, movement, lines and organic forms,” a theme that has run through MIVILLE’s practice and the ROCCIA program over the years. The show is scheduled to run from September 10 to October 11, 2026, with an opening night on September 17 at 6:00 p.m. that includes the artist’s presence. The dates and curatorial framing were published by Galerie ROCCIA and echoed by André Desjardins, the gallery’s longtime collaborator and co-presenter for this installation. This release confirms that RACINES will occupy a substantial portion of the gallery’s space and include approximately a dozen new works along with a large suspended paper sculpture created for the occasion. The September 17 vernissage also served as a milestone for Galerie ROCCIA, marking the gallery’s 17th anniversary. The public communication from ROCCIA and Desjardins situates RACINES within a lineage of joint exhibitions and cross-pollination between painting, sculpture, and paper installation that has characterized the ROCCIA program since its early years. The official dates and content are captured in the gallery’s event pages and press materials. (andredesjardins.com)

Exhibition details and scope

MIVILLE’s RACINES is described as a new body of work where “matter, movement, lines and organic forms come together,” with the artist returning to the gallery to present a large, immersive installation. The exhibition will feature a dozen new works, plus a large paper sculpture suspended within the gallery space, a format that aligns with MIVILLE’s practice of blending painterly gesture with tactile, material-based forms. The installation plan and material emphasis reflect ROCCIA’s commitment to presenting works that reward close looking and physical engagement, particularly in a setting where the viewer can move around and inside the installation. The works are framed by a curatorial approach oriented toward 1) physicality of materials, 2) the generative processes that produce branching and connective forms, and 3) the idea of “traces” and networks that link beings and things—concepts that are both visually legible and conceptually resonant with contemporary abstraction. The publicly available materials emphasize a focused, studio-level engagement with the artist’s practice and a curated installation designed for the gallery’s intimate, two-story space. The 32-day run of RACINES is notable for a mid-sized Montréal gallery choosing an extended window to maximize audience contact with a cohesive show. The release materials document the show’s run and the opening-night events, including the anniversary celebration. (andredesjardins.com)

Opening night and anniversary celebration

The opening night for RACINES took place on September 17, 2026, in the presence of the artist, and aligned with Galerie ROCCIA’s 17th anniversary celebration. The event brought together two artistic worlds—MIVILLE’s RACINES and new paintings by André Desjardins—marking a milestone for the gallery and its community of artists, collectors, and partners. The evening offered an opportunity to view new works, reconnect with the artists, and celebrate the gallery’s long-standing role in Montréal’s art scene. The anniversary framing underscores how the gallery positions itself not only as a venue for exhibitions but also as a community hub that fosters dialogue around material practice and contemporary painting. The event details, including the vernissage timing and participants, are documented in the gallery’s public announcements and the related press notes. For context, the same communications note that the gallery’s environment—Old Montréal’s Saint-Paul Street West—has become a focal point for First Thursday gallery activity and for cross-venue collaborations among area galleries. (andredesjardins.com)

An opening-night record of the event described by the gallery captures the sentiment: “An evening to discover new works, reconnect with the artists, raise a glass… and celebrate together 17 years of art, encounters and passion.” This quotation from the gallery communications illustrates the cultural significance of the event and its role in sustaining a vibrant local scene. The quotation is included in the broader communications around RACINES and the anniversary celebration. (andredesjardins.com)

Core facts and timeline recap

  • Exhibition title: RACINES — MIVILLE
  • Venue: Galerie ROCCIA, 218 Saint-Paul Street West, 2nd floor, Old Montréal
  • Run: September 10 to October 11, 2026
  • Opening night: September 17, 2026, at 6:00 p.m.
  • Featured works: Approximately a dozen new works by MIVILLE plus a suspended paper sculpture
  • Special occasion: Galerie ROCCIA’s 17th anniversary
  • Primary sources: Galerie ROCCIA event pages and André Desjardins announcements (English and French) detailing dates, exhibit scope, and opening events. (andredesjardins.com)

Why It Matters

Artistic significance and market positioning

RACINES — MIVILLE represents an important moment for MIVILLE, a Montréal-based artist whose practice blends painting, matter-based sculpture, and gestural drawing. The show’s emphasis on branching forms, networks, and traces places MIVILLE within a broader trend in Montréal where artists explore organic structures, process-centric making, and tactile materials as a counterpoint to purely digital or formal abstraction. This exhibition, staged within Galerie ROCCIA’s established program, reinforces the gallery’s role as a launchpad for ambitious, immersive installations that invite sustained viewer engagement. The collaboration with André Desjardins—who helps curate and present new works—further underlines a market strategy grounded in artist-led programming and cross-artist dialogue, a formula that has proven successful for ROCCIA over its 17-year history. The prior ROCCIA collaboration, including the 2025 EFFET DE FOEHN show, demonstrates the gallery’s ongoing willingness to pair MIVILLE with complementary creators to amplify reach and critical reception. This historical context is supported by MIVILLE’s own portfolio page and the artistic trajectory described on Desjardins’ pages. (miville.art)

“RACINES” reflects a language of form that has characterized MIVILLE’s recent presentations with ROCCIA, where material choice—paint, matter, and paper—serves not only as medium but as concept. The press-and-gallery communication surrounding RACINES emphasizes a disciplined, studio-informed practice that aligns with ROCCIA’s reputation for supporting material-driven sculpture and painting. This alignment matters for Montréal’s art market because it helps stabilize a mid-market segment that relies on consistent programming and artist development. (andredesjardins.com)

Cultural and economic context for Montréal’s gallery ecosystem

Montréal’s gallery scene has long thrived on a combination of intimate, project-based exhibitions and broader cross-venue collaborations that draw audiences into historic districts like Old Montréal. Galerie ROCCIA’s location on Saint-Paul Street West situates RACINES within a network of venues that host “First Thursday” tours and related activations, a pattern that has helped sustain foot traffic and media attention for contemporary art in the city. The gallery’s 17-year milestone, celebrated in September 2026, adds a layer of institutional credibility to the RACINES show and provides a platform for press coverage and collector outreach. The public-facing communications depict an ecosystem where artists, gallerists, and audiences benefit from sustained engagement, a dynamic that is critical for emerging and mid-career artists navigating a market that increasingly prizes material inquiry and installation-scale experiences. The supporting materials from the gallery and Desjardins offer a practical window into how a Montréal gallery builds an audience around a new body of work, and how the artist’s practice translates into a gallery installation that is both conceptually rigorous and visually resonant. (andredesjardins.com)

The artist’s broader practice and ROCCIA collaboration

MIVILLE is presented as an artist with a long-standing relationship to ROCCIA, with the RACINES installation representing a specific moment in this collaboration. The artist’s own site and the ROCCIA pages frame RACINES as a continuation of an ongoing dialog between the artist and the gallery that has included multiple projects over the years, including earlier ROCCIA exhibitions such as EFFET DE FOEHN (Dec 2025) and other duo or collaborative shows. This continuity matters for market analysis because it demonstrates how durable partnerships between artists and galleries contribute to audience retention and a gallery’s ability to stage ambitious shows within a compact urban space. The artist’s biographical page notes that MIVILLE’s practice sits at the intersection of painting and sculpture, reinforcing the idea that RACINES is a multi-medium installation designed to exploit the spatial opportunities of Galerie ROCCIA. (miville.art)

What’s Next

Visitor information and experience expectations

For readers planning to visit RACINES, the exhibition schedule suggests a 32-day window to experience the artist’s new works in a gallery setting that is designed to maximize contemplative looking and material engagement. The installation’s emphasis on a dozen new works plus a suspended paper sculpture promises a densely layered viewing experience, inviting viewers to move through the space, follow lines and traces, and discover relationships between the natural world and abstract forms. Visitors should plan to visit during regular ROCCIA hours, with the Vernissage week offering an additional moment of community and conversation around contemporary painting and sculpture. Because the show runs through October 11, 2026, readers have ample time to plan a weekend studio visit or participate in a potential post-opening talk or artist-led tour, if offered by the gallery or partner institutions. The gallery’s public communications outline the hours and accessibility details, which are typical for a high-traffic Old Montréal venue; readers are encouraged to verify hours ahead of travel, particularly for long weekends or holiday periods. (andredesjardins.com)

Potential collaborations and market implications

RACINES is more than a single exhibition; it signals a broader pattern of collaboration between Montreal-based galleries and artists who work across painting, sculpture, and paper. The collaboration with André Desjardins, a long-time ROCCIA collaborator, hints at a model where cross-pollination and shared curatorial practice help propel both artists and galleries into new critical and market visibility. The 2025 EFFET DE FOEHN project—another ROCCIA collaboration with MIVILLE—provides a reference point for evaluating RACINES’s potential resonance with collectors who follow this artist-gallery duo. Market analysts may view RACINES as a case study in how mid-sized galleries sustain audience growth through carefully staged installations that emphasize materiality and spatial design, while also leveraging anniversary celebrations to create media opportunities and community engagement. The publicly available materials show a deliberate strategy to align artist practice with gallery storytelling, a model that appears well-suited to Montréal’s mid-market ecosystem where serious collectors are looking for deep, research-driven exhibitions with clear thematic throughlines. (miville.art)

What’s Next: Next Steps and Watch Points

Timeline and milestones to monitor

  • September 17, 2026: Vernissage and 17th-anniversary celebration at Galerie ROCCIA
  • September 10–October 11, 2026: RACINES — MIVILLE exhibition window
  • Potential post-opening programs: artist talks, curator walkthroughs, or cross-gallerist collaborations that can extend the life of the show beyond the initial installation

What to watch for in the coming weeks

  • Critical reception and press coverage: Look for reviews that address how MIVILLE’s new works engage with ROCCIA’s intimate space and how the suspended paper sculpture complements the dozen paintings or sculptural pieces.
  • Visitor engagement metrics: While traditional attendance numbers are seldom published by galleries, coverage of the opening night and subsequent weekend visits can provide an informal read on audience interest and regional demand for this kind of material-focused abstraction.
  • Cross-institution collaborations: The RACINES model may spur additional duos or group shows with ROCCIA or other Montréal venues, signaling a broader trend toward artist-driven exhibitions that emphasize tactile materials and environmental resonance.

Closing

Montréal Times will continue to monitor RACINES — MIVILLE as it unfolds in Old Montréal, watching how the installation speaks to both the artist’s evolving practice and Galerie ROCCIA’s long-standing commitment to material-based inquiry. The pairing of MIVILLE’s organic, branching forms with a suspended paper sculpture inside ROCCIA’s intimate space creates a physical and conceptual dialogue that readers can experience first-hand. This event exemplifies how a mid-sized gallery can anchor a city’s cultural calendar with disciplined programming, while offering readers a precise, dated narrative about a contemporary art moment in Montréal. For readers who want to stay informed, follow Galerie ROCCIA’s official pages for event updates and watch for press coverage that analyzes RACINES within Montréal’s market dynamics. The show’s run through October 11, 2026 provides a clearly defined window to observe how audiences respond to a combined painting-and-installation approach from a well-established artist within a historically significant district.