Starting an art collection: pro tips from Projet Casa

by Danielle Lysaught and Paul Hamelin

Danielle Lysaught and Paul Hamelin are art collectors and co-owners of Projet Casa.

When we first visited the Plural Contemporary Art Fair (then called Papier) in April 2011, we were fairly new to contemporary visual art. Our shared interest in this milieu had been heightened by our first gallery visits the previous year, so it was with a willingness to learn that we took our first steps into the world of the art fair!

The quantity, diversity and quality of the works presented impressed us. That first year we acquired 2 medium sized artworks, including the one pictured below. The following year, 4 pieces... then we lost count, perhaps it is exponential? All kidding aside, we tried to make at least one acquisition per year at the fair, in parallel with our gallery discoveries throughout the year.

This learning process has continued slowly, year after year, through meetings, readings, curiosity and a lot of fun in learning about this stimulating and exciting world.

We are delighted to now regularly partner with Plural for the presentation of special projects that allow for more elaborate or installation based works to be exhibited in a dedicated space, without commercial limitations. The collaboration, which began in 2018, continues in parallel with our other project in Montreal, Projet Casa on Avenue de L'Esplanade, an exhibition space in our home that we've opened up in order to allow early career artists, not represented in galleries, or unseen works not suitable for gallery presentation, to be shown to the public. After almost 15 years, we can say that our encounter with contemporary visual art has enriched and changed the course of our lives. The fair, now Plural, has contributed greatly to our journey.

If you're thinking of starting a collection or adding to an existing one, here are a few tips and suggestions that we have found helpful:

1. Choose pieces that challenge you

Beautiful works are pleasing, but those that hold a mystery or a tension will evolve according to your perception over time and allow for the progressive discovery of new layers of meaning

2. Learn about the artist

Check out their website or Instagram page to see the rest of their work and find out more about their process and journey. Choose an artist that you will be interested in keeping up with through the years.

3. Speak with the gallery owner / artist

Ask the gallery owner or the artist questions about the genesis of the work, the context of its creation, the techniques used, materials, etc. Ask if it is possible to meet the artist. The artist's point of view will enrich your appreciation of an artwork and these are often meaningful and thought provoking exchanges.

4. Dare to go 3D

Three-dimensional works will add interest to your collection as well as change the way you, and viewers of your collection, will relate to other more pictorial pieces (drawings, paintings,...). Do not hesitate to turn up the volume!

To inspire you, we've selected 10 affordable artworks – most of them between $500 and $1,500 – available at the 2023 edition of the fair that could have been our first purchases. Check them out below: