Christie Digital partners with the Urban Digital Laboratory of the Quartier des Spectacles

Press release - For immediate release

Montréal, June 10, 2015 – The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership is pleased to announce its collaboration with Christie Digital System, a global leader in audio-visual solutions. The relationship involves the supply of projection equipment for the Urban Digital Laboratory (UDL), which presents digital works in the Quartier des Spectacles. The arrangement makes the California-based company, whose Canadian headquarters is in Kitchener, Ontario, the UDL’s official major partner.

The strategic alliance strengthens the efforts of the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership to position Montréal as one of the world’s largest digital creative laboratories and a leader in the presentation of public architectural video projections. Christie will provide essential equipment for presenting video projections at the Quartier’s nine permanent projection sites, and the Partnership will give the company access to its technology infrastructure for research and development purposes. The partnership between the two organizations will continue until 2017. The collaboration complements the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership’s efforts and the investments of the Ville de Montréal in the UDL, which allows creators to focus on creating artistic content, while also serving as a laboratory for research and development in digital technology, a key area of activity in Montréal.

“The UDL, enhanced by this important collaboration with Christie, opens significant development potential and new types of public services that can transform residents’ relationship with the city. In addition to being a major downtown revitalization project, the Quartier des Spectacles can now become a launching pad for new technologies related to public space, and participate in enhancing Montréal’s international profile,” said Jacques Primeau, chair of the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership’s board of directors.

For Christie, the association with the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership represents an important opportunity to showcase its cutting-edge technology for a key audience of event producers and exhibitors and other companies in the digital industry. “From our perspective, the Urban Digital Laboratory is an example of excellence and innovation in digital creation, as well as having strong technological development potential. We see these as initiatives that enrich the dynamic of smart cities, and we believe deeply in that approach,” said Christie’s Vice President of Global Accounts, Zoran Veselic.

“I applaud this partnership with Christie. It is a symbol of the exceptional, innovative work the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership and the Ville de Montréal are doing with the Urban Digital Laboratory. This partnership will allow Montréal and its digital creators to benefit from significant expertise that will support future innovations, because it will help Montréal’s creators to push the envelope in their work,” added Manon Gauthier, the Ville de Montréal’s Executive Committee member in charge of culture, heritage, design, Space for Life and the status of women.

About Christie

Christie Digital Systems USA, Inc. is a global visual and audio technologies company and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ushio, Inc., Japan, (JP:6925). Consistently setting the standards by being the first to market some of the world’s most advanced projectors and complete system displays, Christie is recognized as one of the most innovative visual technology companies in the world. From retail displays to Hollywood, mission critical command centers to classrooms and training simulators, Christie display solutions and projectors capture the attention of audiences around the world with dynamic and stunning images. Visit www.christiedigital.com

About the Urban Digital Laboratory (UDL)

The Urban Digital Laboratory covers the entirety of the Quartier des Spectacles (1 km²), starting with a backbone of fibre-optic infrastructure. Its command centre links the Quartier’s public spaces and several cultural venues, allowing the remote control of equipment at the Quartier’s nine permanent architectural video projection sites and the presentation of digital and interactive content. The UDL serves the digital initiatives and projects of the Luminous Pathway.

About the Luminous Pathway

The Luminous Pathway in the Quartier des Spectacles is the product of a large-scale initiative in research, design and experimentation with urban lighting and digital art. In addition to year-round video projections, some 30 public locations in the Quartier are illuminated, complemented by temporary digital art installations. The Luminous Pathway also includes dots of light to indicate cultural venues. Known for its innovative character, the Luminous Pathway has won several Canadian and international awards.

ABOUT THE QUARTIER DES SPECTACLES PARTNERSHIP

The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership is a non-profit organization with some 60 members active in the district. Its Board of Directors includes representatives of cultural organizations and institutions, education, business, municipal government and community organizations. The Partnership’s permanent team has approximately 20 members who program lively cultural activities for the Quartier des Spectacles. The team is also responsible for the Quartier’s public spaces, specialized facilities, illumination and promotion. The Partnership is a member of several international networks, including the Connecting Cities Network and Lighting Urban Community International (LUCI), as well as the Global Cultural Districts Network, a group of cities with a strong focus on culture and the arts that pool their efforts and knowledge on the management of cultural districts.

The Partnership is supported by the Ville de Montréal and the Secrétariat à la region métropolitaine.

Complete details: www.quartierdesspectacles.com

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