COMPETITION FOR A WORK TO BE SUSPENDED OVER LES JARDINS GAMELIN

For immediate release

Montreal, March 8, 2016 – The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership is proud to announce a competition for the commissioning of a public artwork to be suspended over Place Émilie-Gamelin. The work, which will be presented for the first time from May to October 2017, will float over the space’s temporary configuration, Les Jardins Gamelin, for several seasons.

The competition is part of an extensive program of recent actions designed to transform Place Émilie-Gamelin into an iconic, unifying public space suitable for hosting events of a variety of scales. The winning concept will highlight and illuminate the place with a monumental work that will serve as a major landmark for the eastern end of the Quartier des Spectacles and a signature piece for Montreal.

The work must create a three-dimensional focal point for the space and encourage visitors to stop and contemplate it from different vantage points. Viewers should notice how the work plays on depth and volume, accentuated at night by lighting effects that spark their imagination. The lighting must showcase the work and be an integral part of it.

The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership invites creators from all backgrounds, including professional artists, designers, architects, and multimedia or stage designers, to submit applications.

THE COMPETITION

The competition has a two-phase selection process: first, applications will be reviewed, and in the second phase the four finalists chosen through the initial review will give a remunerated presentation to the jury. Each proposal will be assessed on criteria detailed in the competition Rules. The winner will have the mandate to design and produce their public artwork. The production budget is $250,000. The registration deadline for the competition is March 30, 2016. Proposals must be submitted by April 4, 2016 at noon. Montreal time. This is a free, Canada-wide competition open to artists and teams with at least one designer having their primary residence or headquarters in Canada.

All proposals received, as well as the jury’s report, will be made public on the website of the Quartier des Spectacles this fall, at the same time as the announcement of the winner.

JURY COMPOSITION

The Jury has ten (10) members. It includes leading figures in several artistic disciplines, all with expertise in creative works for public spaces.

• Jean-François Bélisle, Executive Director and Chief Curator, Joliette Art Museum
• Geneviève Cadieux, Artist, Photographer
• Anaïs Castro, Independent Curator and Assistant to the Executive Directors, galerie Art Mûr
• Mikaël Charpin, Project Manager, L’Observatoire international, New York
• Pascale Daigle, Director of Programming, Quartier des Spectacles Partnership
• Louise Déry, Director, Galerie de l’UQAM
• Pierre Fortin, Executive Director, Quartier des Spectacles Partnership
• Pierre Lapointe, Director of Operations and Production, Quartier des Spectacles Partnership
• Gabriel Pontbriand, Creative Director, Moment Factory
• Stéphane Ricci, Urban planner, Assistant to the Director and coordinator of the Quartier des Spectacles, Ville de Montréal

LES JARDINS GAMELIN

In the summer of 2015, Place Émilie-Gamelin was unveiled to locals and Quartier des Spectacles visitors in an entirely new way: Les Jardins Gamelin. A large, green, citizen-oriented space in the heart of downtown, from May through October Les Jardins Gamelin is an original temporary design consisting of a versatile set of facilities. Seven days a week, day and night, the space hosts a busy schedule of cultural and citizen-oriented activities for every taste and in every style, including small and medium-size events as well as large festivals such as Montréal Complètement Cirque. Featuring garden spaces, an illuminated patio and a café-bar, the space won the hearts of Montrealers and visitors, becoming a favourite gathering space for outdoor lunches, extended after-work get-togethers and afternoons of family fun.

Produced by the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership in collaboration with Pépinière & co., along with many partners and the support of the borough of Ville-Marie, this initiative’s scale is unprecedented for Place Émilie-Gamelin. It encourages Montrealers to use and adopt this downtown space and helps make it one of the city’s essential tourist attractions.

ABOUT THE 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. Year round, the Quartier presents architectural video projections on several building façades. The Quartier des Spectacles is a showcase for new multimedia technology, making Montreal a global leader in the urban exhibition of digital content.

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VISUALS
Download link for images of Les Jardins Gamelin: http://we.tl/ykpauzgJRc
Credit: Ulysse Lemerise / OSA Images

Contact: Marie Lamoureux | marie.lamoureux@quartierdesspectacles.com | 514 923-6772