MOMENTA Biennale d'art contemporain

What MOMENTA Biennale d'art contemporain does

MOMENTA Biennale d'art contemporain is a Montréal-based non-profit charitable organization (Canada Revenue Agency registration #896548203RR0001) that produces one of Canada's longest-running contemporary art biennials, founded in 1989 and currently in its 19th edition (2025). The organization curates and presents exhibitions, public programs, and educational workshops across 11 museum, gallery, and artist-run centre venues in Montréal every two years, featuring Canadian and international artists working in lens-based, installation, video, and augmented reality practices. Its product surface includes the biennial itself, the MOMENTA Creative educational sub-brand, the MOMENTA Podcast, bilingual exhibition publications (co-published with Kerber Verlag), and a tiered patronage program.

MOMENTA's business model is a hybrid non-profit funding stack: federal, provincial, and municipal arts council grants (Canada Council for the Arts, CALQ, Conseil des arts de Montréal); individual donations processed through Canadahelps.org with up to 53% tax-receipt benefits; tiered corporate partnerships (Patrons $20,000+, Ambassadors $10,000+, Allies $5,000+); publication and merchandise sales through the Zeffy online store; and in-kind venue partnerships with institutions including the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, McCord Stewart Museum, Place Ville Marie, and university galleries. Distribution is primarily physical (free-admission exhibitions across Montréal) supplemented by digital channels (website, podcast, social media across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Bluesky).

The organization underwent a strategic repositioning in 2017 from a photography-focused event to a broader contemporary art biennale, formalized with a new visual identity in November 2024. Leadership transitioned in April 2024 with the appointment of Dominique Sirois-Rouleau as Executive Director, succeeding Audrey Genois. MOMENTA is a member of the Ennials Alliance, a network of North American biennials and triennials, and operates with a 12-person team from its headquarters at 5445 av. de Gaspé in Montréal.

Name

MOMENTA Biennale d'art contemporain

Legal name

MOMENTA Biennale d'art contemporain

Website

https://momentabiennale.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MOMENTA Biennale d'art contemporain is a Montréal-based non-profit charitable organization producing Canada's longest-running contemporary art biennial every two years across multiple city venues, featuring Canadian and international artists and serving general public visitors, artists, and institutional patrons.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contemporary Art Biennial

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH), Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)

Keywords

• Contemporary art biennial
• Visual arts festival
• Art exhibition curation
• Educational arts programming
• Cultural non-profit events

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: The organization is registered as a charitable organization (#896548203RR0001) by the Canada Revenue Agency. Donations of $20 or more provide automatic tax benefits covering up to 53% of the donation value. Supporters can make one-time or monthly donations through Canadahelps.org.
2. Government Funding: MOMENTA receives funding from public arts councils and government bodies including the Canada Council for the Arts, CALQ, Conseil des arts de Montréal, and municipal/provincial governments.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Sponsorship programs with multiple tiers (Patrons $20,000+, Ambassadors $10,000+, Allies $5,000+) offering visibility, exclusive access, and tax benefits in exchange for financial support.
4. Publication Sales: Sale of biennale publications including books in French and English co-published with Kerber Verlag, exhibition booklets, and special editions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MOMENTA Biennale d'art contemporain is a registered non-profit charitable organization that produces a biennial contemporary art event every two years in Montréal. The biennial presents exhibitions, public events, and educational workshops featuring local and international artists across museums, galleries, and artist-run centres throughout the city. Supporting offerings include year-round educational programming (MOMENTA Creative), an artist interview podcast, bilingual exhibition publications, and tiered donation and patron sponsorship programs.

Product overview

MOMENTA Biennale d'art contemporain is a major contemporary art biennial held every two years in Montréal, a not-to-be-missed event that brings the public into the city's museums, galleries, and artist-run centres. The organization's core product is the biennial itself, featuring exhibitions, public events, and educational workshops featuring both local and international artists. Supporting offerings include MOMENTA Creative (educational workshops and plain-language materials), the MOMENTA Podcast (artist interviews), MOMENTA Publications (exhibition books in French and English), and a Donation Program with tiered patron benefits. The 2025 edition 'In Praise of the Missing Image' is presented in 11 exhibition spaces across the city, featuring 23 artists from 14 countries and 5 Indigenous communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MOMENTA Creative: Educational resources component of the biennial featuring creative workshops and activities for various age groups.
• MOMENTA Podcast

Products and services

• MOMENTA Biennale A major contemporary art biennial held every two years in Montréal, featuring exhibitions, public events, performances, talks, and educational workshops at museums, galleries, and artist-run centres across the city. Free admission for the general public.
• MOMENTA Creative Educational component of the biennial offering creative workshops, plain-language interpretive materials, and public programs designed for diverse audiences including school groups and the general public.
• MOMENTA Podcast Original audio program featuring interviews with artists from each biennial edition, produced in collaboration with audio production partners and supported by the Canada Council for the Arts.
• MOMENTA Publications Exhibition publications including curatorial texts, artist features, and graphic scores, published in both French and English and co-published with Kerber Verlag.
• Donation Program Charitable giving program offering one-time and monthly donation options, with tax receipt benefits for Canadian donors through the recognized charitable organization (registration #896548203RR0001).
• Patron and Partnership Programs Tiered corporate and individual sponsorship program with three levels (Patrons $20,000+, Ambassadors $10,000+, Allies $5,000+) offering visibility on marketing materials, exclusive access to artists and tours, networking events, and tax benefits.
• Liquid Crystals Augmented Reality Program Interactive augmented reality art program developed in collaboration with Studio Dpt., featuring AR works that employ technology not yet widely used in contemporary art practice.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50%+ increase in visitor attendance at artist-run centres during the 2023 edition compared to 2021
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Musée d'art contemporain de MontréalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 September 2025Main partner venue for the 2025 edition hosting the exhibition 'In Praise of the Missing Image' and Nuit blanche closing event.
• Toronto Biennial of ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 September 2024Partnership supported by CALQ to co-present five Quebec artists in the 2024 Toronto Biennial, fostering artistic exchange between Quebec and the rest of Canada.
• Studio Dpt.coreTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration since 2018 for digital projects including the 'Liquid Crystals' augmented reality program featuring interactive works not yet widely used in contemporary art.
• International Festival of Films on Art (Le FIFA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-year partnership for presenting contemporary video art and art films, including Carte Blanche program by Joyce Joumaa.
• Never Was AverageminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to design and facilitate educational workshop 'Imagination and Other Powerful Futures' as part of the 2021 biennial.
• Ausgang PlazaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for Nuit blanche programming at Cathcart venue during the 2026 closing event.
• Place Ville MarieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for Nuit blanche programming and exhibition hosting at PVM location.
• La PressecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPreferred Media Partner as part of ongoing commitment to local media and solidarity with the 'Mouvement média d'ici'.
• Ennials AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of North American biennials and triennials for exchanging resources, better practices, and ideas. MOMENTA hosted 21 directors during the 2023 symposium.
• 2025 Exhibition Partners (Centre CLARK, daphne, Dazibao, Fonderie Darling, Galerie de l'UQAM, Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery, OPTICA, PHI, VOX)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner11 exhibition spaces hosting the 2025 edition programming with 23 artists from 14 countries, 4 provinces, and 5 Indigenous communities.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Toronto Biennial of Art: A Canadian contemporary art biennial held every two years (odd years) in Toronto. Directly comparable as a similarly-sized biennial operating in Canada with cross-partnership (MOMENTA co-presented Quebec artists at the 2024 Toronto Biennial) and shared funding from CALQ.
• Prospect New Orleans: A citywide contemporary art triennial held in New Orleans. Comparable as a North American recurring international art event with multiple venues and a thematic curatorial frame.
• SITE Santa Fe: A contemporary arts biennial held in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Comparable as a smaller-scale North American biennial with international scope and a thematic curatorial focus.
• Carnegie International: An international survey of contemporary art held every few years at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh. Comparable as a recurring international contemporary art exhibition with rotating curators and a long institutional history.

Broad incumbents

• Berlin Biennale: A European contemporary art biennial held in Berlin with citywide installations and a strong curatorial identity. Comparable as a recurring international art biennial with thematic programming and a network of venues.
• Venice Biennale: The world's most established contemporary art biennial, with national pavilions and a long institutional history. Comparable as a recurring international contemporary art exhibition event, though vastly larger in scale and scope than MOMENTA.
• Lyon Biennale: A major contemporary art biennial in Lyon, France, with international curators and multi-venue programming. Comparable as a curated biennial focused on contemporary practices across multiple partner venues.
• Festival Internacional de Arte de la Habana (Havana Biennial): A major contemporary art biennial held in Havana, Cuba, focused on artists from the Global South. Comparable as an internationally-oriented contemporary art biennial with a strong thematic curatorial vision.
• Whitney Biennial: An iconic American contemporary art biennial at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Comparable as a recurring large-scale survey of contemporary art, though it operates from a single museum venue rather than across a city.
• documenta (Kassel): A major recurring contemporary art exhibition held every five years in Kassel, Germany. Comparable as a large-scale international contemporary art event with thematic programming and citywide spread, though on a much larger scale and longer cadence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@momentabiennale
• Facebookfacebook.com/momentabiennale
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/momentabiennale
• Instagraminstagram.com/momentabiennale
• TikToktiktok.com/@momenta.biennale

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 MOMENTA Biennale d'art contemporain