Spin art bar offers Montrealers a chance to get artistically chaotic

Spin art comes to Montreal Art Chaos Founder Alexander Karpov explains what spin art is, and how it works.

How's this for a dizzying, fun-filled activity? Painting an elaborate landscape -- but the canvas is on a spinning wheel.

That's what Art Chaos, a spin art bar in Montreal's Mile End neighbourhood, is asking people to come and try.

"The technique of spin art has been around for a very long time," said Alexander Karpov, Art Chaos owner and director. "It's a moving canvas that spins around, and you pour paint on it. By the movement, it creates really nice, different patterns."

Karpov says when he discovered the art form, he knew he had to bring the concept to Montreal.

"When I saw the spin art, I fell in love," he tells CTV News. "I tried it. It was so fun, so interesting, very creative, and every time different."

The studio, located on Saint-Viateur Street, is relatively young, opening in December 2023 as an answer for anyone looking for a unique activity to try.

"There are so many smiles, so many good emotions because the beauty is you cannot do anything wrong," Karpov explains. "We have people who try something, [it] didn't work for them, then they start making it better or they destroy the painting."

It's an activity, he says, that is designed for family and friends alike.

"There is no age limit. As long as you can hold a bottle of paint, you can do it," he said. "It's art chaos, so it's all about the chaos."

Karpov explains people have about an hour to experiment with their artwork.

"We will give you access to an unlimited amount of paint," he said. "Some people take one hour for the one work, some people do it in 20 minutes or 15 minutes."

The best part? Karpov says there are no rules.

"You can experiment, you can do whatever you want," he insists. "There are no rules. Just try to express, try to create...Some people get a bit like, 'What do you mean? It shouldn't be easy to do art.' Actually, it should be easy."