Founded by Hélène Bélanger-Martin, the Galerie ROCCIA opened its doors on September 24, 2009. Initially located inside the eXcentris complex, the gallery took a new turn in April 2010. In addition to moving into its own spacious storefront, the gallery officially become the permanent exhibition space of the Montreal painter-sculptor André Desjardins.

Over time, works of Quebec artists have been added to the permanent collection, including those by the promising painter Alexandra Levasseur, the sculptors Nathalie Trépanier and Rémi Bergeron, as well as the well-known designer Jean-Claude Poitras.

Driven by a fascination with three-dimensional objects the director, Hélène Bélanger-Martin, gave herself the challenge of introducing her clients to the world of sculpture.  She is constantly looking for new sculptors, whether emerging or established, and has more than fifty bronzes and works made of combinations of various materials on permanent display. “Sculpture is like a magnet to me,” she says. “I am drawn by the volumes, the proportions, the material, the textures; it all makes me want to touch the work, to move around it, to discover it in its totality. The relationship to a three-dimensional object is necessarily physical and sensual.”

Masterpiece Publishing, a prestigious company based in California that represents visual artists, chose the Galerie ROCCIA as its only point of sale in Canada. This exclusive agreement enables the gallery to permanently display a large number of bronze sculptures by internationally renowned artists. There is also a space reserved for invited artists. In this way, the gallery’s team remains in direct contact with current creative trends in visual arts and can share its favourites and its discoveries, both in painting and sculpture, with its clients.

With its private events, openings, diverse and surprising installations, the Galerie ROCCIA intends to become a “must” in the Montréal, Quebec, and Canadian visual arts milieu.

-Photo credit: Dominic Chartrand