Fonderie Darling is a visual-arts venue that was founded and is directed by the not-for-profit art organization Quartier Éphémère, which has the mandate of supporting the creation, production, and dissemination of contemporary art. A small business by nature, Fonderie Darling develops a wide range of tools for the distribution of art to a broader public. Fonderie Darling occupies 3,500 m² in two adjoined former industrial buildings in Old Montreal.  It presents exhibitions, makes studios available to local artists, and hosts international residencies, offering artists and the public fulfilling experiences in an inspiring context and with a sense of coherence that facilitates the comprehension of contemporary art. A unique institution in Montreal, Fonderie Darling has set itself the objective of bringing together the local and international art scenes through its activities.

Quartier Éphémère was founded in 1994 in a former warehouse at 16 Prince Street, made available free of charge by the City of Montréal through S.I.M.P.A. This location encompassed an exhibition space and artists’ studios until 1999. The presence of Quartier Éphémère in a neglected neighbourhood responded to its mandate for revitalization of peripheral urban zones through art activities. The many in situ projects produced – one of which received the Prix Orange, awarded to an organization for the first time, in 2001 – were instrumental in dissemination of art in a neighbourhood that had been indifferent to it and now integrated it into the local culture.