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COME PLAY WITH THE WALLS OF THE QUARTIER DES SPECTACLES!

October 11, 2018

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From October 18 to 20, MAPP_MTL presented in collaboration with the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership will display its digital art on the city’s walls. It’s a great way to discover an exciting new technology-based art form.

Don’t just look at the art, be part of it: you’re invited to participate in the final round of the interactive projection competition, where you can test the three finalists’ works and vote for your favourite experience. These original creations will blow your mind!

We spoke with the finalists, who talked about the competition’s stimulating technical and artistic challenges, and about what’s going on during MAPP_MTL, the international projection mapping festival in the Quartier des Spectacles.



3 UNIQUE INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCES

MAKE YOUR DIGITAL BODY FLY


La Légèreté de l’être by Thomas Ouellet Fredericks

What’s your inspiration?
My favourite piece of art in the metro, Murales, by Jean Mercier, at the Acadie station! It shows happy people jumping. They look like they’re floating. I wanted to give people the experience of lightness, that feeling of being able to do anything, with nothing holding you back. The title is a nod to the novel The Unbearable Lightness of Being, by Milan Kundera. This piece is very different from my usual work – much more positive!

How does the public interact with the work?
A person faces a wall and sees their image, like in a mirror. When they jump, the image is freed and its shadow starts wandering. The next visitor’s shadow takes off to join the others, already floating. There can be up to 20 images at a time. The work can’t exist without visitors. With people, it becomes a creative space, and people can even include an accessory like an umbrella or a hat. The mural is collective, and we all share in the sensation of lightness. It’s fun and philosophical at the same time!

What kinds of challenges did you face?
A technical issue with the lighting: there needs to be enough light to capture the image, but not so much that people are blinded. I built a special lighting rig and marked off the space so that the jump happens in a certain spot. When I showed the prototype, the jury advised me to add sound to the work. I worked with a colleague to get it right!

MAKE YOUR VIRTUAL CLONE MOVE AND DANCE TO COMPLETE SPECIAL MISSIONS!


Points de rencontre by Ensemble Ensemble

What’s your inspiration?
In our collective, we like to subvert technology; we take an algorithm with a rather cold aesthetic and try to give it a human element; we look for interactive potential in the use of public space. It’s strictly for fun, like a comic book. We installed the camera in the office and did plenty of research and testing. We wanted to excite people and make them laugh, get them to let loose in a fairly uninviting spot like area outside Saint-Laurent metro.

How does the public interact with the work?
The camera detects you and projects your avatar onto the wall. You’re part of the work – there’s no headset or controller, people are at the centre of the experience. They have to get closer to each other, do movements and collaborate to rescue their character. They engage with the universe of the projection. It’s a short, sweet encounter. We want to make technology more accessible and give it a social effect.

What kinds of challenges did you face?
Some avatars would disappear if we put them behind a person. It was a huge challenge for the programmer. We also had to communicate the story to people in a simple way, without wordy explanations, and keep everything participatory and fun. We quickly learned that we were going to have to reduce the work’s complexity!

MEET A LIKEABLE GIANT


MurMur by HUB Studio

What’s your inspiration?
Near the metro station, people don’t really interact with each other, and we see people from a bunch of different backgrounds. We wanted to create an animated character who would interact with them. He’s going to tour the world, and the first stop is Montreal!

How does the public interact with the work?
It’s a mysterious but kindly entity that will engage with anyone – tourists, locals, old people, young people. The idea is to bring people together. There’s a maple syrup can connected to the wall by a wire, and you’re invited to talk to the character. He has a real personality, he reacts to what you say, but he doesn’t speak our language.

What kinds of challenges did you face?
Complex interactions need to be intelligible, especially when it comes to the tone and volume of the voice. We went through several versions. We also want this kind gentleman to travel. Given that he doesn’t face any language or cultural barriers, it makes sense for him to travel the world. We even created a Murmur.mtl Instagram account for our globetrotter, for a fun twist!

Projection mapping according to Thien Vu Dang
co-founder executive director and artistic director of MAPP_MTL

“It’s still an unknown art. It’s the true magic of digital technology! Like film, it can be used to entertain people, make them think, educate them. Montreal is a major hub for mapping, and the Quartier des Spectacles stands out in North America for its architectural projections. There’s a large pool of artists here. We’re witnessing the dawn of an impressive new type of creation, and the public will get the chance to try some great experiences during the festival.”

During MAPP_MTL, don’t miss...

  • October 13 : MAPP TON QUARTIER QUARTIER DES SPECTACLES For children ages 7 to 12
    Bring the whole family to this creative workshop where children will learn to animate drawings on a tablet, then follow artist VJ Suave as he rides his tricycle, equipped with a projector that will show the children’s creations.

  • October 18 and 19: INTERACTIVE PROJECTION COMPETITION FINAL
    Come have fun with the three finalists and vote for your favourite experience.

  • October 19 and 20: CICLOMAPPING TOUR WITH VJ SUAVE
    Using a projector installed on his tricycle, artist VJ Suave uses the walls of the Quartier des Spectacles to present his digital creations while pedalling. Follow him on his ride!

  • October 20: CLOSING NIGHT: COMPETITION AND MAPP_MTL
    Come celebrate the end of the competition and the closing of the third annual MAPP_MTL festival, outside Saint-Laurent metro station, where you’ll find a great party!

INTERACTIVE PROJECTION COMPETITION FINAL
October 18 to 20

MAPP_MTL
October 18 to 20

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