SOUK is back for its 19th edition. New this year: the annual Montreal designers’ fair will be held in Mile-Ex, La Presse has learned.
The industrial building located at 7070, rue Saint-Urbain, in Mile-Ex, will host this 19th edition of SOUK, from November 29 to December 3. The event will take place on three floors of the building and occupy more than 20,000 square feet.
Sid Lee Architecture will be responsible for the scenography of the event. “We are in an old building which is a former textile factory. It’s so typically Montreal and inspiring. It is an industrial place, very vast, with beautiful volumes. We are collaborating with Sid Lee Architecture and we know they will work miracles! », says Azamit, founder of SOUK, in a telephone interview.
SOUK is 65 hand-picked designers and creators, selected by a jury. This large annual fair offers, just before Christmas, jewelry, ceramic objects, furniture, lighting, clothing, stationery and accessories made by local designers. Designers like Margot, Nina Janvier, Studio Sisu, Vivi Lamarre, Soie Lait, Monsieur Ed, Noémiah, Martine Dupuis, Laboratoire Textile and Atelier Hotel Motel will be there this year.
The SOUK spent the first 15 years at the Society of Technological Arts (SAT), then the event was nomadic; it was held in Saint-Henri, then at Place Ville Marie. “Since the SOUK is nomadic, we have created a bar, café and restaurant space, with a local chef. There will also be a corner for children, with workshops given by designers. Children are the next generation and we are very sensitive to that. »
New this year: an entry price of $15 for adults (passport valid for 5 days of SOUK) and $10 for students and people over 65. Children will be able to enter for free. “After a year of reflection, we said to ourselves that the entrance fee was necessary to ensure the sustainability of the event. We are a non-profit organization,” says Azamit.
Azamit created SOUK in 2003 and she notes that the environment has changed a lot over the past 20 years. “The designers have become professional, there is a great evolution and the quality is there. The design world is much more accessible to the general public, there are platforms where we can exhibit objects, and social media has helped to make designers known. The clientele has changed, it is broader, less specialized, more diversified. It’s good to see that the population is more sensitive to Quebec design and know-how,” says the woman who has now been living in Milan for a few months and who has launched a collection of high-end furniture, Hintsa Rudman. “I miss Montreal, and I’ll be there for the SOUK, of course! », she concludes.
