Le Marché Noir

What Le Marché Noir does

Le Marché Noir is a non-profit artist collective founded in 2012 in Rennes, France, uniting 18 artists distributed across four member collectives: L'Atelier du Bourg (7 members), La Presse Purée (4 members), Atelier Barbe à Papier (2 members), and Atelier L'Imprimerie (5 members). The organization operates as a community-driven micro-publishing and graphic arts platform, producing an annual festival, a publishing imprint, and a shared laboratory dedicated to traditional printmaking. Its core activities are organized around four revenue-generating surfaces: the annual Festival Le Marché Noir (now in its 11th edition, held at Les Ateliers du Vent in Rennes), Éditions Le Marché Noir (a publishing arm whose flagship is the 2022 limited-edition book 'Les Mains Sales'), the 200m² Laboratoire (a workshop space offering commissioned printing and self-productions), and a structured educational program (Cours et Ateliers) covering screen printing, engraving, risography, typography, and linocut.

The underlying technical foundation is artisanal rather than digital: the collective's know-how centers on traditional printmaking techniques executed in a shared laboratory space, rather than a software platform or AI-driven product. The collective's product portfolio is intentionally niche — limited-edition publications, small-cohort workshops (typically 2–4 participants for adult screen printing courses), and a festival with a prix libre (donation-based) entry model. It serves three primary customer segments: the general public attending the festival, adult learners and hobbyists enrolling in paid workshops, and independent artists and micro-publishers seeking access to shared equipment and exhibition/publishing opportunities.

The business model is hybrid: workshop and course fees (€40–€450 per tier), publication sales (~€20 per book), modest ticket and on-site sales at the festival, and — most importantly — institutional public funding from Région Bretagne and Ville de Rennes, which appears to anchor the organization's operating budget. Distribution is local (regional), primarily through on-site festival and workshop sales, supplemented by an online store run by partner collective L'Atelier du Bourg. Production is supported by a network of suppliers and partners including Média Graphic (printing), Clément Façonnages (binding), Fedrigoni (paper), L'Alambik (concert programming), and Zéro de conduite (film/video programming).

Name

Le Marché Noir

Legal name

Le Marché Noir

Website

https://lemarchenoir.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Le Marché Noir is a non-profit artist collective founded in 2012 in Rennes, France, uniting 18 artists across four collectives. It runs an annual micro-publishing festival, a publishing arm, and a printmaking laboratory offering workshops to the public, hobbyists, and independent micro-publishers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Micro-Publishing & Artisanal Printmaking Workshops

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130), All Other Publishers (513199)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Genre & Category Publishing (Romance, Mystery/Thriller, Sci‑Fi/Fantasy, etc.) (MPAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fringe & Experimental Performing Arts (MPAGABAI)

Keywords

• Artisan printmaking workshops
• Independent micro-edition
• Screen printing courses
• Engraving workshops
• Cultural arts festival

Headquarters

HQ city

Rennes

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Workshops and Courses: Fee-based educational programs including children's workshops (450€ annual membership), adult screen printing courses (315€ + 15€ membership), one-day screen printing workshops (115€), engraving sessions (40€/session), and screen printing initiation workshops (40€/session).
2. Publication Sales: Sale of self-published book 'Les Mains Sales' at 20€ (estimated), available at the workshop and through L'Atelier du Bourg online store.
3. Festival Entry (Prix Libre): Donation-based entry model for festival events. Concert tickets priced at 7€ for some events. Food and beverage sales on-site during festival.
4. Artisan Services and Commissions: Auto-productions and commissioned printing work through their laboratory space. Workshops available for independent artists and projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Le Marché Noir is a non-profit artist collective in Rennes that operates an annual micro-edition and printed arts festival, runs a shared 200m² printmaking laboratory offering self-productions and commissions, and delivers fee-based courses and workshops in screen printing, engraving, risography, typographic printing, and linocut for children and adults. It also publishes limited-edition art books through its Éditions Le Marché Noir imprint, with 'Les Mains Sales' (1,000 copies, 2022) as its flagship publication.

Product overview

Le Marché Noir is an artistic collective based in Rennes, France, founded in 2012 by four artist collectives. It is NOT a technology company. The organization operates as a unified cultural entity offering: (1) Festival Le Marché Noir — the annual flagship event featuring a salon of independent micro-edition, exhibitions, concerts, and workshops; (2) Éditions Le Marché Noir — the publishing arm producing limited-edition art books; and (3) the 200m² Laboratoire — a workshop laboratory providing artisanal printing courses and workshops. The collective brings together 18 artists across four member ateliers: L'Atelier du Bourg, La Presse Purée, Barbe à Papier, and Atelier L'Imprimerie. Services span screen printing, engraving, typographic printing, graphic design, drawing, and editorial creation. No technology products, APIs, or AI capabilities are offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Éditions Le Marché Noir: Publishing arm of the collective that produced 'Les Mains Sales' book in October 2022

Products and services

• Festival Le Marché Noir Annual festival featuring a salon of micro-edition, participatory workshops, exhibitions, and concerts, held at Les Ateliers du Vent in Rennes. Open to the general public with donation-based (prix libre) or low-cost entry.
• Laboratoire Le Marché Noir 200m² workshop space in Rennes dedicated to graphic arts and print production, offering self-productions, commissions, and training workshops. Provides artisanal printing techniques including screen printing, engraving, typographic printing, graphic design, drawing, and editorial creation, for independent artists and projects.
• Éditions Le Marché Noir Publishing arm of the collective producing limited-edition art books and publications on printed arts and craftsmanship. Its flagship release 'Les Mains Sales' (204 pages, 2022) features 42 artists and 13 collectives, with format 20x26cm, saddle-stitched binding with exposed binding and jacket. Sold at 20€ at the workshop and through L'Atelier du Bourg online store.
• Atelier Enfants (Children's Workshops) Screen printing and engraving discovery workshop for children aged 6-10. 33 sessions of 2 hours per year, Wednesday 14h-16h during school term. Annual membership fee 450€, with all materials included. Children create books, masks, and textile prints while learning about manufacturing printing techniques.
• Cours de Sérigraphie (Adult Screen Printing Courses) Screen printing courses for adults covering workshop familiarization, serigraphic process discovery, and technical skill development for autonomy. 8 sessions of 3 hours, maximum 4 participants. Beginner to intermediate levels. Pricing: 315€ + 15€ annual membership.
• Stage de Sérigraphie (One-Day Screen Printing Workshop) Full-day screen printing workshop for discovery and skill development. 115€ per day, 9:30-18:00, 2-3 participants on reservation.
• Atelier de Gravure (Engraving Workshop) Engraving initiation workshop covering relief printing, intaglio printing, and etching techniques. Monthly sessions on Saturdays, 14h-18h, 40€ per person, 6-14 participants per session. Materials included.
• Initiation Sérigraphie (Screen Printing Initiation at La Fabrique) Monthly Saturday screen printing initiation at La Fabrique. Participants engage in all stages: creation, exposure, printing, and finishing. 40€ per person, materials included. Collective creations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1000 copies sold of 'Les Mains Sales' limited edition publication
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Région BretagnecoreOthers · 1 January 2012Regional government providing financial support to Le Marché Noir's cultural activities and annual festival.
• Ville de RennescoreOthers · 1 January 2012City government of Rennes providing institutional support and likely venue access for cultural programming.
• Les Ateliers du VentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural venue in Rennes (Quartier Cleunay) serving as the main location for the annual Festival du Marché Noir. Provides exhibition and event space.
• L'AlambikcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic/cultural organization co-organizing concerts and DJ sets as part of the annual festival programming.
• Zéro de conduitesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural organization collaborating on film/video projections and concerts during the festival.
• Média GraphicsupportingOthersPrinting services partner supporting publication production. Printed 'Les Mains Sales' book at their Rennes facility.
• Clément DistributionsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner supporting festival logistics and possibly publication distribution.
• Clément FaçonnagessupportingOthersBookbinding services partner based in Nancy, responsible for exposed binding on 'Les Mains Sales' limited edition.
• FedrigonisupportingOthersItalian paper company specializing in premium paper, providing materials for 'Les Mains Sales' publication.
• L'Atelier du BourgsupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner collective selling 'Les Mains Sales' publication through their online store.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Atelier Bonjoure: Nine-artist collective (BONJOURE y MAS) featured at Le Marché Noir's festival, working in visual/printed arts, exhibition, and participatory projects. Comparable in operating model as a small artist collective producing exhibitions and printed-art outputs.
• Atelier Bingo: Independent micro-edition and printed-arts studio listed as exhibitor at Le Marché Noir's festival. Comparable in scale, output, and target audience within the French independent micro-edition scene.
• Le BAL: Paris-based cultural institution dedicated to image-making and the visual book, combining exhibitions, an editorial program, and educational offerings. Closely comparable to Le Marché Noir in its dual mission of curated visual-arts programming and book production around image-based art.
• Draw-Draw: Independent illustration/printmaking studio exhibited at Le Marché Noir's festival. Directly comparable as a small-scale micro-edition and printed-arts producer working in similar visual and printmaking territory.
• Macula Nigra: Small printmaking/visual-arts collective named as collaborator at Le Marché Noir's festival (Paper Airlines workshop). Comparable as a micro-scale printed-arts collective producing limited editions and participatory art.
• Éditions B42: Independent French publisher specializing in contemporary art, photography, and critical theory books. Directly comparable to Éditions Le Marché Noir in independent art-book publishing and limited-edition production for cultural/visual-arts audiences.

Broad incumbents

• La Maison du Livre: Belgian/French book-arts center dedicated to printed object heritage and contemporary book arts, with exhibitions, residencies, and educational programming. Comparable as a larger, more established institution promoting the book arts and printed culture that Le Marché Noir serves through its festival and publishing.

Emerging players

• Print Club London: London printmaking collective offering screen-printing and traditional technique workshops, exhibitions, and editions. Comparable in combining accessible printmaking education with curated exhibitions and limited-edition output for an arts-engaged public.
• Risograph Berlin: Berlin-based risograph print shop and community hub offering workshops, editions, and event programming. Comparable as a European risograph/printmaking collective combining workshops, limited editions, and community events around printed arts.
• Microbook (Festival Micro-édition): Belgian/Dutch micro-publishing festival circuit focused on independent printed editions and zines. Comparable in format (salon + workshops + exhibitions) and target community (independent micro-publishers and printmakers) to Festival Le Marché Noir.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/le.marche.noir.rennes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/le-march%C3%A9-noir

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Le Marché Noir