A passionate lover of the visual arts, René Blouin has been part of the art scene since the 1970’s. As a gallery owner, he is also a big wheel in the “cultural industry.” He hates the expression, but being realistic knows that he is involved in it. A contradiction? Galerie René Blouin earned its stripes in the Belgo building on St. Catherine Street in Montreal. The space was a pioneer along with Galerie Chantal Boulanger in what is now an essential address for the visual arts. A new chapter: René Blouin has just moved house, sculptures and paintings to King Street in Old Montreal after a short time at the Arsenal. He begins anew, excited about his new collaboration with young Sarah Pépin, a kind of sister spirit and spiritual daughter. He has promoted the work of Betty Goodwin, Kiki Smith, Jana Sterbak, Rober Racine and Chris Kline among many others. The man has experience: he was part of the artist-run centre Véhicule, worked at the Canada Council for the Arts, was a curator for Aurora Boréalis and, briefly, at the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal. An interview with an art dealer who still prefers an almost silent, intimate contact with works of art.

Do you think the visual arts are yielding to the temptation of spectacle?

René Blouin: The visual art world must deal with the demands of entertainment and the production of spectacle, as must every creative field. The path was

…