# Jean-François Bouchard

> Jean-François Bouchard is a Canadian visual artist, co-founder and former CEO of Sid Lee, and founder of C2 Montréal. Based in Montreal and New York, he works in photography, film and installation, exploring communities outside dominant social frameworks. His projects include In Guns We Trust, Exile from Babylon, The New Cubans and the documentary La Retaguardia, co-directed with Olivier Côté.

- **Role:** Independent visual artist
- **Organizations:** Jean-François Bouchard Studio, Sid Lee (co-founder and former CEO), C2 Montréal (founder), soNomad (investor and adviser)
- **From:** Montreal, Canada
- **Nationality:** Canadian
- **Education:** Law degree, University of Ottawa
- **Known for:** Co-founded Sid Lee, which received Marketing magazine’s Canadian agency-of-the-year recognition in 2010 and 2011., Founded C2 Montréal, whose first edition attracted approximately 1,300 participants from over 40 countries., Received second prize in the Gender category of the Pride Photo Award 2015 for Transpose.

## Career timeline

- **1993** — Co-founded Diesel with Philippe Meunier in Montreal.
- **2003** — Began his contemporary visual art practice.
- **2006** — Diesel became Sid Lee.
- **2012** — Launched C2 Montréal with Sid Lee and Cirque du Soleil.
- **2014–2015** — Transpose exhibited at Arsenal in Montreal and Toronto.
- **2017** — Bertrand Cesvet succeeded him as Sid Lee CEO; Bouchard subsequently served as chairman.
- **2019** — In Guns We Trust exhibited in New York and Montreal; accompanying book published by the Magenta Foundation.
- **2023** — Exile from Babylon exhibited at Arsenal Contemporary in New York and Toronto.
- **2024** — The New Cubans published by powerHouse Books and André Frère Éditions.
- **2025** — La Retaguardia, co-directed with Olivier Côté, premiered at Festival du nouveau cinéma.
- **2026** — La Retaguardia released through New York Times Op-Docs; Turn or Burn scheduled to open at PHI on October 28.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Sid Lee, which received Marketing magazine’s Canadian agency-of-the-year recognition in 2010 and 2011.
- Founded C2 Montréal, whose first edition attracted approximately 1,300 participants from over 40 countries.
- Received second prize in the Gender category of the Pride Photo Award 2015 for Transpose.
- Published The New Cubans with powerHouse Books and André Frère Éditions.
- Co-directed La Retaguardia, released in the New York Times Op-Docs series in 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — PHI lists Turn or Burn (Foi ou feu), curated by Daniel Fiset, for October 28, 2026–March 14, 2027; it is upcoming as of October 22.
- **2026-09** — His journal reports that La Retaguardia is entering awards season in partnership with The New York Times.
- **2026-06** — His journal announced The New York Times selection of La Retaguardia for Op-Docs.
- **2025-10** — His journal documented the Mexico City opening of The New Cubans.

## Links

- Website: https://www.jfbouchard.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jebouchard/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jfbouchardphoto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BouchardJF/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/jean-francois-bouchard
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-22