Our Mission

ATSA is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1998 by artists Pierre Allard and Annie Roy. The pair create transdisciplinary works and events for the public realm that take the form of interventions, installations, performance art and realistic stagings. Their actions are born of a desire to raise public awareness of various social, environmental and heritage issues that are crucial and that need to be addressed. To sway both the public and the media—in short, to motivate as many citizens as possible to take an active role in improving society—ATSA marshals artistic quality, a playful, imaginative outlook, impactful media exposure, and key messages backed by sound, thorough research.

ATSA’s approach is to ensure that the aesthetic and symbolic statements of its art also serve as tools for interaction and education. Its artistic creations—always provided free of charge and designed to draw people closer together—are one-of-a-kind experiences from both a sensorial and a humanistic standpoint. They are educational and intergenerational, and question the urban landscape, promoting exchange and reflection in the public realm.

ATSA is a creative, pacifist and responsible movement committed to producing and promoting events which help advance the causes of sustainable development and the fundamental rights of man and of nature.

ATSA is recipient of the 2010 Pratt & Whitney Canada Nature de l’Art Prize awarded by the Conseil des arts de Montréal, the Citoyen de la Culture 2008 award handed out by Les Arts et la Ville and of the Artistes pour la Paix 2008 award.

About ATSA

Noteworthy achievements include État d’Urgence, an interdisciplinary festival based on socially inclusive values; CHANGE, an intervention about marketing and a retrospective of our work; ATSA: Quand l’Art passe à l’Action, a monograph; Bubblegum Cannonballs, an intervention produced for the Havana Biennial of Contemporary Art; Parc industriel, a thought-provoking faux archaeological site; Attention: Zone Épineuse, an intervention about the precariousness of our ecological heritage; Les Murs du Feu, a fiery evening and guided tour showcasing Montreal's famous fires; Attentat (Attack), a series on our addiction to fossil fuels; FRAG, a permanent, site-specific trail on the St-Laurent Blvd.; Squat Polaire, an educational installation about climate change.

Throughout the year, ATSA pursues its educational work through workshops, is frequently invited to speak at conferences and symposiums throughout Canada and Europe, and is also present at several public awareness-building activities.