Mathias Gmachl is an artist, designer and researcher. He hosts physical and digital places for the creation of contemporary myth: stories to live your life by. Mathias is internationally recognised for the design and fabrication of pioneering experiences and environments that radically rethink our future.
Content
Echoes - a voice from uncharted waters by Mathias Gmachl
12th edition, 2021-2022
Echoes - a voice from uncharted waters as part of Luminothérapie © Ulysse Lemerise / OSA Image
Echoes - a voice from uncharted waters by Mathias Gmachl
Echoes - a voice from uncharted waters is an interactive sound-and-light work that invites us to look and listen closely. The installation – a massive, colourful representation of a whale – symbolizes our blue planet’s flora and fauna. It asks us to consider the impact of our everyday activities on nature and the environment, making us more aware of their fragility. Interacting respectfully with the marine mammal’s vital space takes us into an enigmatic melodic world. But when you get too close, a sound calls out to you. Can you perceive the line you must not cross to protect the whale? The installation is a meditation on our harmful invasions of Earth’s ecosystems.
CREATIVE INTENTION
"With Echoes - a voice from uncharted waters, I want to provide an open space - a platform - for the public to have conversations about the future of our planet. Not just about whales, but of all life that exists. The need to create room to learn, and dream, of a better future feels more pressing than ever. The installation is my small contribution towards a larger shift in the narratives and actions needed"
Mathias Gmachl, the creator of Echoes - a voice from uncharted waters
CREDITS
Design and production : Mathias Gmachl
Special thanks : Jana Winderen, Roosa Tulvio, James Fox, Jon Wozencroft and James Solly
A co-production of the Partenariat Quartier des Spectacles, the MuseumsQuartier Wien (Vienne, Autriche) and the LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura (Lugano, Suisse)
BIOGRAPHY
Mathias Gmachl
TECHNICAL FEATURES
The whale is made of steel, it weighs 5 tons and is 17 meters long.
PICTURES
Download the images and videos
Please include full photo credits: Luminothérapie, Echoes - a voice from uncharted waters, by Mathias Gmachl, a production of Quartier des spectacles Partnership.
ABOUT LUMINOTHÉRAPIE
Luminothérapie is Quebec’s largest competition for temporary public art installations. Each year, Luminothérapie presents an original, interactive and captivating winter experience in Montreal’s Quartier des Spectacles with a major installation in Place des Festivals. In 2020 and 2021, special editions took place in the Quartier, with a series of installations and a moment of sound and light for an extended experience. Luminothérapie seeks to spur creativity in the design of urban installations and digital art. Several cultural districts around the world have shown interest in its interactive art installations created for public spaces by local artists and creators. Since 2016, 12 works created for the Quartier des Spectacles have been exhibited on nearly 100 occasions in more than 50 cities in Canada and around the world.
lUMINOTHÉRAPIE COMPLETE PRESS KIT
ABOUT THE QUARTIER DES SPECTACLES AND THE QUARTIER DES SPECTACLES PARTNERSHIP
The Quartier des Spectacles is Montreal’s cultural heart, boasting North America’s greatest concentration and variety 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 hosts innovative urban installations featuring cutting-edge lighting design, immersive environments and interactive digital spaces. Year round, the Quartier presents artistic video projections on building façades. The Quartier des Spectacles is also a showcase for new multimedia technology, making Montreal a global leader in the urban exhibition of digital content.
The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, founded in 2003, is a non-profit organization with more than 80 members active in the district. It is responsible for animating the Quartier des Spectacles by programming cultural activities, managing and animating public spaces, providing distinctive illumination and promoting the Quartier as a must-visit cultural destination. The Partnership is supported by the Ville de Montréal.
Press releases
A WHALE APPEARS IN PLACE DES FESTIVALS
Blog
A CAPTIVATING LUMINOUS WHALE LOOMS OVER PLACE DES FESTIVALS
MEDIA RELATIONS
Mélanie Mingotaud | melanie@mingo2.ca | (514) 582-5272