Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Periculum Foundation for Contemporary Art

Role of Periculum in the Funding Ecosystem

Periculum is a private Canadian foundation dedicated to supporting contemporary art through research funding. Established to honor the legacy of artist-anthropologist David Tomas, the foundation bridges artistic practice with theoretical discourse, supporting projects that intersect writing, critical thinking, and artistic production.

Funding Programs

The foundation's main funding stream is « Production de discours » (Discourse Production), which supports critical and exploratory research projects in contemporary art history, criticism, and curation from the 1960s to today. Funding supports research and development work resulting in autonomous essays, exhibition projects with essays, conferences, or public programs. Projects must be completed within 12-18 months.

Eligibility and Application Process

Applications are open to professionals in art history, criticism, or curation. Candidates must hold Canadian citizenship or permanent residency. The two-step submission process evaluates project relevance, original contribution, methodology, budget feasibility, and production timeline. A advisory committee, including the foundation's director, preselects candidates before final selection.

Governance and Accountability

The foundation is led by Director Michèle Thériault. Recipients must document their research progress on the foundation's website, creating a public record of the research process. Recipients determine the mode of public dissemination in collaboration with the director.