Today the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership announced the two works to be presented for the fifth annual Luminothérapie event, from December 10, 2014 to February 2, 2015. Visitors to The Place des Festivals will be dazzled by a giant kaleidoscope called Prismatica by the Toronto architecture firm RAW Design, the first Luminothérapie competition winners from outside Québec. Meanwhile, the Quartier’s eight video projection sites will be lit up by a digital carnival called Fascinoscope devised by Lüz Studio, a Montréal-based visual design studio. There is also a major new development this year: audience interaction will be taken further than ever with a set-up that will allow the public to play games on the projection surface outside the Saint-Laurent metro station.

“Luminothérapie allows us to offer both fertile ground for creators to experiment and a fun experience for Montrealers and visitors,” said Jacques Primeau, chair of the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership’s board of directors. “This year’s works will help create a magical atmosphere in the Quartier des Spectacles this winter, making it a prime destination.”

“I am proud that Montréal’s growing status in the field of creative and digital installations is attracting so much interest from talented creators, who are entering design competitionsin impressive numbers. In the process, they are helping Montréal strengthen its position as a UNESCO City of Design. I want to thank the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership and everyone whose ideas and talent are making our cultural metropolis shine, encouraging the emergence of new talent both here and elsewhere,” said Manon Gauthier, the Ville de Montréal’s executive committee member responsible for culture, heritage, design, Space for Life and the status of women.

The winning projects

PART 1: SHOWCASING AND ENLIVENING PLACE DES FESTIVALS

Prismatica by RAW Design (Toronto)

This immersive installation, comprised of 50 pivoting prisms will transform the Place des Festivals into a colourful ice palace – a giant kaleidoscope through which visitors can wander and observe the Quartier des Spectacles through a new lens. Glimmering under natural light by day or by atmospheric lighting by night, the prisms will create overlapping transparencies, patterns and reflections on their surroundings. Visitors will be able to interact with the installation by turning the giant prisms, causing mesmerizing transformations of countless colours.

The prisms, measuring two metres tall, are made of polycarbonate panels laminated with a dichroic film that transmits and reflects every colour of the visible spectrum, varying with the position of the light source and the observer.  The prisms will be mounted on bases that contain light projectors and speakers. As they pivot, they will create polychromatic effects accompanied by an ambient soundtrack.  Through the interplay of these various sources of light and sound, magic will emerge.

RAW Design

RAW Design is a Toronto-based architectural firm that works on a wide variety of scales and project types. From community greenhouses to large residential developments, not to mention outdoor interactive installations, its team of 30 architects and designers takes a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach. For Prismatica, the firm assembled a team of professionals from several fields (applied science, technology, art and architecture).

“RAW Design is thrilled to be associated with Luminothérapie and to be part of this event celebrating lively public spaces on such a large scale. We are honoured to have the opportunity to present our Prismatica installation, and join this event’s long series of extraordinary successes,” said Roland Rom Colthoff, director of RAW Design.

PART 2: Design and production of architectural video projections for EIGHT building façades in THE Quartier des Spectacles, including one interactive production

Fascinoscope by Lüz Studio (Montréal)

Soundtrack by XS, la petite boîte à musique

Fascinoscope will immerse us in the captivating atmosphere of an early 20^th century carnival, remixed for the digital age. Starting at nightfall, eight building façades in the Quartier will come alive with the sights and sounds of a carnival and its attractions, with a unique atmosphere at each of the sites.

The work’s heart is the space outside Saint-Laurent metro station, which will be transformed into an arcade with four interactive games inspired by carnival classics (see descriptions below). For game controls there will be four pear balls fitted with sensors that will measure the balls’ rotation and speed. By hitting the balls, players will interact with the video projection, earn points and try to win the game. 

The interactive games

Each game lasts 2 minutes

4 players maximum

Poulets en cavale: inspired by the classic shooting gallery, this “chicken run” is a game of accuracy. Players must hit the ball at just the right moment to shoot a projectile and knock over the passing chickens.

Les fulgurantes machines volantes: in this flying-machine frenzy, each pear ball corresponds to a hot-air balloon. Players try to make their balloon rise faster than the others by activating the ball controller non-stop.

Le maître de l’illusion: inspired by Whack-a-Mole, the “master of illusion” game depicts 12 magicians’ hats from which items pop up. Players try to use the magic wand, controlled with the pear ball, to make the items disappear.

Le charmeur de serpent: inspired by tests of strength, this snake-charmer game displays wicker baskets from which snakes emerge. Players must make their snake stretch as high as possible to ring a bell.

The carnival theme will be seen throughout the Quartier on seven sets of building façades, where fantastical scenes and optical illusions will be displayed. Each projection will be accompanied by an original soundtrack performed on a mechanical organ, electric bass and drums.

• Pavillon Président-Kennedy at UQAM will be like a big circus tent, with acrobats performing in a dizzying landscape.
• Théâtre Maisonneuve will become a magic lantern with a giant carousel on which images unfurl as if on a zoetrope.
• Hôtel Zéro1 on Place de la Paix will be a theatre of flying machines and other bizarre inventions.
• The Centre de design at UQAM will feature a Moulin Rouge-style cabaret setting.
• Cégep du Vieux Montréal will present the hypnotizer, which will enthral passers-by with a series of optical illusions based on spheres and infinite spirals.
• The UQAM bell tower will feature illusions by a magician who performs a series of amazing conjuring tricks and illusions.
• The Grande Bibliothèque will become the freak show-inspired Cabinet Bizzaro.

Lüz Studio

Lüz Studio is a visual design company providing integrated lighting, stage design and video content services. Based in Montreal and active globally, Lüz Studio specializes in the performing arts. It takes a unique creative approach adaptable to a wide range of settings. The team includes nine creators and several collaborators, and has worked on projects for Broken Bells, Adam Cohen, Rock et Belles Oreilles and the Gémeaux awards gala. Senior designer and president/founder Matthieu Larivée has created lighting designs for Cirque du Soleil, Amaluna (tent) and Wintuk (presented at Madison Square Garden in New York City).

“Fascinoscope is an exciting project for the design team at Lüz Studio because it provides countless opportunities for us to be creative and allows us to make full use of our expertise in the performing arts. This project is a first for the company because it makes our work the star of the show, and because it will be available to a large audience over a long period of time. Creating compelling worlds with lighting and video is what we do every day, it’s what we live for. Luminothérapie is an exceptional showcase for us,” said Matthieu Larivée, senior designer and president/founder of Lüz Studio.

Multidisciplinary jury

The finalists for both parts of the competition were selected based on anonymous proposals, to ensure transparency and fairness to up-and-coming artists. The winners were selected following the finalists’ remunerated presentations to the jury.

The jury members are:

Part 1

• Kim Pariseau, architect, Appareil architecture (chair)
• Pierre Fortin, executive director, Quartier des Spectacles Partnership
• Barbara Jacques, creative director, COSSETTE
• Lesley Johnstone, curator, Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal
• Pascal Lefebvre, programming director, Quartier des Spectacles Partnership
• Benoît Lemieux, director of operations, Quartier des Spectacles Partnership
• Étienne Paquette, writer and director
• Laurent Saulnier, vice-president, programming and production, Équipe Spectra
• Louis-Richard Tremblay, producer, Interactive Studio, National Film Board of Canada

Part 2

• Francis Laporte, visual designer (chair)
• Juliette Bibasse, digital art producer 
• Mélanie Charbonneau, director
• Mikaël Charpin, associate director and Luminous Pathway manager, Quartier des Spectacles Partnership
• Pierre Fortin, executive director, Quartier des Spectacles Partnership
• Pascal Lefebvre, programming director, Quartier des Spectacles Partnership
• Katharina Meissner, strategic development, MUTEK and consultant for the Connecting Cities Network/Public Art Lab Berlin
• Vincent Pasquier, multimedia designer
• Roxanne Sayegh, executive director, Montreal International Documentary Festival

The Luminothérapie competition

Luminothérapie is Québec’s largest competition for temporary installations. Organized in two parts, its purpose is to present an original, interactive wintertime experience for visitors to the Quartier des Spectacles, and to stimulate creativity in urban installations and digital art. It is the only time of year when all video projection sites in the Quartier feature the work of a single creator. This year, there were 45 proposals for the section aimed at showcasing and enlivening Places des Festivals. There were ten proposals for the section focusing on the design and production of video projections for eight building façades in the Quartier des Spectacles, including one interactive production.

The total budget allocated for the first component is $225,000. The budget for the second component is $100,000.

More information about part one, including the finalists’ proposals: mtlunescodesign.com/luminotherapie2014

More information about part two, including the finalists’ proposals: mtlunescodesign.com/luminotherapie2014/videoprojection

THE QUARTIER DES SPECTACLES

The Quartier des Spectacles is Montréal’s cultural heart, boasting North America’s most concentrated and diverse group of cultural venues. The district is the year-round host to countless festivals and events, many of which include free outdoor shows and activities. The Quartier also hosts innovative urban installations involving cutting-edge lighting design, immersive environments or interactive digital spaces. The Quartier des Spectacles is an international showcase for new multimedia technology, making Montréal a global leader in the field. For more information, visit quartierdesspectacles.com.

MONTRÉAL UNESCO CITY OF DESIGN

Montréal is part of UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network in the Cities of Design category. The Network includes 41 cities in 23 countries. It helps creators in member cities share their experiences, while promoting the international exchange of best practices and knowledge.

The Ville de Montréal’s Bureau du design works with the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership on preparing and running this annual competition. Such competitions are among the many commitments taken on by the city and the partners in Action Plan 2007-2017 – Montréal, Cultural Metropolis, which aims to promote excellence in design and architecture while affirming Montréal’s status as a UNESCO City of Design.