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MOUVEMENTS LIBRES: be part of a bold and creative community experience!
Montreal, May 1, 2018 – The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership invites Montrealers and cycling enthusiasts to be part of Mouvements libres, an ephemeral collective artwork to be created in the Quartier des Spectacles on Friday, May 25 at 6:30 p.m. Les Jardins Gamelin are the home base for this unique experience involving more than 300 cyclists.
A ONE-OF-A-KIND ARTISTIC EXPERIENCE
Participants will be part of a novel creative project: a mobile textual performance with a poetic and political slant. Each cyclist will turn their bike into a platform for self-expression with the AgitPOV, a small device that allows riders to display a word in the spokes of a wheel. As the cyclist pedals, the word lights up. It’s a playful, civic-minded way to make a statement in the city. To capture this original demonstration for posterity, an animated GIF and a video will be made, directed by Jérôme Delapierre.
Mouvements libres is based on the sculpture Bike Wheel by Alexandre Castonguay, which was displayed outside the Grande Bibliothèque as part of the KM3 event in 2017. The evening’s activities will be produced by François Bernier in collaboration with the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership.
RESERVE NOW
And, obtain an AgitPOV at a reduced price: quartierdesspectacles.com/mouvementslibres
MOUVEMENTS LIBRES: URBAN POETRY IN YOUR WORDS
Each participant’s choice of words is important to the work’s aesthetic and meaning. Cyclist-poets are invited to think of a word that will give onlookers pause to think about the urban landscape; a word that could, for example, inspire discussion about the future of the city and the bicycle’s role in it. The work’s collective nature is seen in the collected illuminated words during the cyclists’ procession, which everyone is invited to come watch. Afterwards, participating cyclists will take their AgitPOV device with them, so they can keep spreading poetry in the city.
YOUR WORDS, ASSEMBLED BY QUEEN KA
At 8 p.m., to start the evening, Montreal spoken-word artist Queen Ka will perform a new piece inspired by the participants’ words. At the end of the art event, at 10 p.m. back in Les Jardins Gamelin, KNLO will work the turntables to close the lively, social, thought-provoking and festive evening. These performances are free and open to all. Visitors to the Jardins are also welcome to watch the photo session with the Mouvements libres participants and their illuminated words.
AGITPOV: PETIT OBJET DE VÉLO
The AgitPOV is a creation of UQAM art professor Alexandre Castonguay and student Jean-Pascal Bellemare. The device was originally designed and used for the student strikes of 2012. The Petit Objet de Vélo consists of 12 LEDs, a micro-controller and a battery. The device is attached to the spokes of a bicycle wheel. When the bike is in motion, it displays a message in lights thanks to the viewer’s persistence of vision. This is the first time the AgitPOV will be made in large numbers and installed on so many bicycles.
INFORMATION
Gather in Les Jardins Gamelin
6:30 p.m.: arrival of the participants
8 p.m.: performance by Queen Ka
8:30 p.m.: creation of an animated GIF with participants and their illuminated words
9:15 p.m.: group ride begins
10 p.m.: DJ set with KNLO
ABOUT THE QUARTIER DES SPECTACLES AND THE PARTNERSHIP
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 hosts innovative urban installations involving cutting-edge lighting design, immersive environments or interactive digital spaces. Year round, the Quartier presents artistic 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.
The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, founded in 2003, is a non-profit organization with more than 70 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.
For more information, visit quartierdesspectacles.com
PHOTOS
Download link: we.tl/CSjHS5wllt
Please include full photo credits.
Video: youtube.com/NWIE5fuLEBY
Media relations
Marie Lamoureux | marie.lamoureux@quartierdesspectacles.com |
