The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership is proud to announce the finalists in the 2013-14 Luminothérapie competition. The two-part competition is aimed at producing an interactive winter experience for Quartier des Spectacles visitors and stimulating creativity in Montreal. There were 44 proposals for the competition section aimed at showcasing and enlivening Place des Festivals and the Place des Arts Esplanade; five finalists have been chosen to proceed to the next phase. In the competition section focused on the Design and production of video projection content for nine sets of building façades in Quartier des Spectacles, three finalists have been chosen from the 14 eligible entries.

The winners and jury reports will be made public in early October. The two winning projects will be presented as part of the fourth annual Luminothérapie event, which runs from December 11, 2013 to February 2, 2014.

The finalists are: 

PART 1: Showcase and enliven Place des Festivals and the Place des Arts Esplanade

Designers were invited to form multidisciplinary teams to design an installation that would create an island of winter life both day and night, providing a playful, light-oriented experience for the public. 

• Atelier CAPS, in collaboration with Thibaut Lefort, CS Design and RWDI
La danse du vent (“wind dance”) proposes a celebration of the formidable force of nature that is the wind by creating a ballet of light and motion. Immense weather vanes dance overhead in winter gusts, in a choreography that reflects light as people walk, creating the overall impression of a flock of birds or a school of fish.

• FLASH! light collective (Carla Jardim and Marga Vicens), Fabienne Cuny, Fernanda Cristina Marques, Lefteris Theodosis and Charles Thivierge
Effet papillon (“butterfly effect”) proposes to draw visitors into a sea of translucent tubes covered in holographic paint, on which sound, light and undulating motions multiply. By day, in natural light, the space becomes an enormous rainbow. By night, the work shifts in response to public interaction: touching one of the tubes triggers a reaction throughout the installation – a response resembling the “butterfly effect.”

• Intégral Jean Beaudoin, in collaboration with Arup and Novalux 
500 mille bouteilles à la mer, 500 mille messages à l’hiver proposes to wrap Place des Festivals in a huge frosted coat made of 500,000 bottles, creating a uniquely intimate urban moment. The work’s four outside surfaces form, through the tips of the bottles’ caps, a massive typographical mural. Within, words and quotations provided by visitors via social networks are shown, like so many messages in bottles floating on the sea.

• Kanva, in collaboration with Udo Design, Côté Jardin, Boris Dempsey and Pierre Fournier
Entre les rangs proposes a look back at part of Quebec’s rural history by recreating it in a modern urban setting, turning Place des Festivals into a large field of wheat formed by flexible stalks topped with reflectors that amplify the effects of wind and light. From a distance, the stalks blur into a single large canvas, while on the site a series of paths open for pedestrians to explore. 

• MoDe (Victor Hugo Morales Collins and Tania Delage), in collaboration with Lux Populi 
Inspiration proposes the creation of an environment evoking shorelines sculpted by water, populated by luminous organic shapes called domes, whose intensity varies based on the movements of passers-by. The project is meant to be an allegory for the formation of foam when river water washes over rocks.

For more information about the competition and to view all entries: mtlunescodesign.com/en/project/2013-Installations-for-public-spaces

PART 2: Design and production of video projections for the façades of Quartier des Spectacles

Designers were asked to create playful, graphically rich, festive projections set to an original soundtrack synchronized with the visuals, with the net result of reaffirming the district’s uniqueness and encouraging people to stop and admire the work even in harsh winter weather. 

• Champagne Club Sandwich 
Trouve Bob/Find Bob is a game/show that invites the visitor to find Bob’s hiding place in an invented, colourful, psychedelic world inhabited by unusual characters. The animations, which use the architecture of the projection surfaces, become increasingly complex with each scene, like a video game, guaranteeing fun for everyone as they search for Bob. 

• Lucion Média 
Animaux momentanés is inspired by new possibilities being opened up by science: changing the nature of things, and creating new entities. On the façades, hands assemble creatures by turns human and animal, creating an assortment of faces and anatomies out of unexpected combinations. Set to music by local band Malajube, the different scenarios become a joyful, disorderly and charming parade. 

• Playmind 
Temps suspendu is a series of surrealistic vignettes combining dance, circus arts and animated graphic design. The characters appear to be suspended, obeying only one law: gravity. Through the bodies’ movements on the façades, the architecture of the present is transformed and gives way to the past architecture of the projection sites.

The video projections will be shown on nine building façades and groups of façades in the Quartier equipped with permanent projection systems: Grande Bibliothèque (BAnQ), UQAM’s Centre de design, Cégep du Vieux Montréal, the UQAM bell tower, UQAM’s Pavillon Président-Kennedy, Hôtel Gouverneur on Place Émilie-Gamelin, Hôtel Zéro 1, Place de la Paix, Théâtre Maisonneuve and the area around Saint-Laurent metro station.

For more information about the competition and to view all entries: mtlunescodesign.com/en/project/2013-Video-Projections

Montreal, creative city

Demonstrating the city’s creative vitality, this year’s competition attracted 58 entries, as compared to 42 last year. “The popularity of Luminothérapie demonstrates how dynamic and ambitious Montreal’s creative community is. More and more creators are taking this opportunity to flesh out their wildest ideas and bring light to winter. The Luminothérapie event showcases that creativity and talent by giving Montrealers and visitors the chance to enjoy these works in public,” said Jacques Primeau, chair of the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership’s board of directors.

“Once again this year, the heart of the Quartier will be illuminated by delightful, highly creative works. Luminothérapie is a unique immersion in light, bringing pleasure to the Montreal winter and inviting passers-by to let themselves be transported into a wonderland. I am thrilled by our local creators’ enthusiasm, and I want to congratulate the finalists for presenting such bold works. Their efforts are a testament to the exceptional talent that is making Montreal’s reputation as a UNESCO City of Design,” said Élaine Ayotte, the Ville de Montréal’s Executive Committee member responsible for culture, heritage and design.

An open competition with multidisciplinary juries

The finalists in both competition sections were selected based on proposals submitted anonymously, in order to ensure transparency and openness to new talents. The next step, the selection of the winners, is centred on a paid presentation to the appropriate jury.

The jury members are:

Part 1
• Brigitte Poupart, director, actor, theatrical director, co-artistic director of Transthéâtre and jury chair
• Gabriel Pontbriand, director of the Environment team, Moment Factory
• Pierre Fortin, executive director, Quartier des Spectacles Partnership
• Michel Gagnon, programming director, Place des Arts
• Hélène Godin, executive creative vice-president, Sid Lee
• Pascal Lefebvre, programming director, Quartier des Spectacles Partnership
• Benoît Lemieux, director of operations, Quartier des Spectacles Partnership
• Eugénie Manseau, industrial designer, Studio Dikini, Phyllis-Lambert Design Montréal grant recipient 
• John Zeppetelli, curator, DHC/ART Foundation for Contemporary Art

Part 2
• Olivier Goulet, president, Geodezik (jury chair – replaced for the final stage by Janicke Morissette, designer, Geodezik)
• Lucie Bazzo, lighting designer for professional dance and theatre productions 
• Patrick Doyon, illustrator and animated film director, Doiion
• Pierre Fortin, executive director, Quartier des Spectacles Partnership 
• Pascal Lefebvre, programming director, Quartier des Spectacles Partnership

ABOUT LUMINOTHÉRAPIE 

Luminothérapie is a winter event based on two competitions: one for activities that showcase Place des Festivals and the Place des Arts Esplanade, and one for the design and production of video projection content for nine building façades in the Quartier. The competition is run in collaboration with the Bureau du design de la Ville de Montréal. During the event, public spaces become an open-air art gallery that bring light to winter and showcase Montreal’s creative talent. With this program, Quartier des Spectacles hopes to increase the number of inspiring productions and help make Montreal one of the worlds’ top cities of light. In 2012-13, the competition delighted the public with Iceberg by Atomic3 and Appareil Architecture, an installation for Place des Festivals and the Place des Arts Esplanade, and the series of video projections titled Le jour des huit soleils,by Pascal Grandmaison, presented on eight façades and groups of façades in Quartier des Spectacles.

ABOUT QUARTIER DES SPECTACLES 

Quartier des Spectacles has been Montreal’s cultural heart for more than a century. Today, it is also a hub of economic, urban and cultural development, with many assets that are helping establish Montreal as a leading cultural metropolis. A vibrant creative zone, open to artistic diversity and cultural cross-pollination, the Quartier has something for everyone, from digital-arts aficionados to fans of world music. Every month of the year and every hour of the day, Montrealers and visitors converge on its 80 venues, 40 festivals and seven squares and public spaces. Part of a unique urban fabric, the boldly illuminated Quartier des Spectacles is an essential destination for anyone looking for a thrilling cultural experience. For more information, visit quartierdesspectacles.com 

ABOUT MONTRÉAL, UNESCO CITY OF DESIGN 

Montreal is part of UNESCO’s international Creative Cities Network in the Cities of Design category. The Network includes 34 cities in 18 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 worked 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 Plan2007-2017 – Montréal, Cultural Metropolis, which aims to promote excellence in design and architecture while affirming Montreal’s status as a UNESCO City of Design. For more information, visit mtlunescodesign.com