Quebec City, April 23, 2026 - After three years of activity in the heart of Old Quebec, EXMURO announces that summer-fall 2026 will mark the final season of operation at l'Aire publique, an open and accessible art space that will have welcomed over 160,000 people since its launch in 2024.
The organization will shortly unveil a program featuring a majority of Quebec City artists, to close a three-year pilot project that will have reached over 80,000 visitors a year.
The pilot project has demonstrated a solid capacity to generate autonomous income. However, in a context marked by a very significant increase in occupancy costs, and despite numerous approaches to the relevant authorities over the past few years, the public funding conditions necessary for its continuation have not been met. The Aire publique will therefore not be renewed in 2027.
A final season worthy of EXMURO
To mark this final year, EXMURO is preparing a summer program focusing on Quebec City artists and collectives. Details will be announced in the coming weeks on our social networks and via our newsletter.
In three years, l'Aire publique will have showcased dozens of artists from here and abroad, contributed to the activation of a heritage site, Place Royale, with a lively cultural offering, and generated significant spin-offs for the artistic community. The project demonstrated that it is possible to present contemporary art beyond the usual distribution frameworks, reaching a wider public in an open, lively venue.
At the end of these three years, EXMURO reaffirms its conviction that l'Aire publique has filled a missing link in Quebec City's artistic ecosystem, by offering a contemporary art venue that is both accessible and ambitious, capable of bringing together local and international artists in an emblematic heritage site. This reflection directly feeds the rest of its development.
What's next for EXMURO
EXMURO's departure from Place-Royale will leave a void, while paving the way for new perspectives for the organization. EXMURO will continue its surprising interventions in the public space and accelerate the deployment of its vision of international development, in order to amplify the influence of Quebec artists, both locally and beyond our borders.
Between now and the end of October 2026, EXMURO invites the public to take full advantage of this final season at the Place Royale Public Area.