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NFB and Quartier des Spectacles Partnership join forces to launch major call for ideas


Press release | For immediate distribution


Selected interactive artwork to premiere in a public space in Montreal’s Quartier des Spectacles before travelling to cities around the world


Montreal, October 1, 2015 – As part of MUTEK_IMG, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) Digital Studio and the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership have announced that they are joining forces to launch a call for ideas for an interactive artwork designed for public spaces. The winning project will be on display in Montreal’s Quartier des Spectacles in the summer of 2017.

Under the theme Making the Invisible Visible, artists are invited to explore the profound changes that are transforming our world and yet remain imperceptible. The artwork should be designed to travel, and it must also be adaptable to various types of public spaces in different cities around the world. Interactivity must be at the heart of the work, which will come to life when members of the public engage with it.

Making the Invisible Visible is meant to shed light on trends stemming from great cycles of change—be it political, legal, financial, economic, social, behavioural or technological. The selected project must draw inspiration from a contemporary issue that is already bringing about significant, irreversible changes in our world, but whose impact remains hidden from view because we lack the key to decode it.

The call for ideas ends on November 20 and the deadline for submitting proposals is November 27. Mouna Andraos, designer and co-founder of Daily tous les jours, is the jury spokesperson and president. The winning project will be announced in February 2016. To assist creators in proposing concepts that focus on specific types of change, the organizers have established a number of broad creative criteria.

The work must:

  • be displayed in an open-air public space and must be adaptable to a wide range of such spaces;
  • be accessible to a large number of visitors, day and night;
  • spark interactions between members of the public and take into consideration the traces left by them;
  • favour a collaborative approach and involve local artists and artisans in each of the cities to which it will travel after its initial run in Montreal;
  • include an online component complementing the in situ experience; and
  • expand over time, in response to interactions, and as it circulates between multiple cities.

The Pre-selection Committee comprises two members of the Jury, Pascale Daigle and Marie-Pier Gauthier, and additional representatives of the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership and the NFB.

The winning idea will be chosen from a group of finalists by the Jury, consisting of:

  • Myriam Achard, Director of Public Relations and Communications, Phi Centre;
  • Mouna Andraos, Designer and co-founder of Daily tous les jours;
  • Annmarie Borucki, Special Projects Manager, Midtown Detroit, Inc.;
  • Pascale Daigle, Director of Programming, Quartier des Spectacles Partnership;
  • Marie-Pier Gauthier, Production Manager, Digital Studio, National Film Board of Canada;
  • Étienne Paquette, Screenwriter and Director; and
  • Keith Stubblefield, Chief Financial Officer, Brooklyn Academy of Music.

For full details on the call for ideas, visit nfb.ca/visible-invisible.

Quartier des spectacles

The Quartier des Spectacles is Montreal’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 Montreal a global leader in the urban exhibition of digital content. For more information, quartierdesspectacles.com.

About the NFB

The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is one of the world’s leading digital content hubs, creating groundbreaking interactive documentaries and animation, mobile content, installations and participatory experiences. NFB interactive productions and digital platforms have won 100 awards, including 11 Webbys. To access acclaimed NFB content, visit NFB.ca or download its apps for smartphones, tablets and connected TV.

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Media enquiries

Marie Lamoureux
marie.lamoureux@quartierdesspectacles.com – 514 923-6772