The Quartier des Spectacles presents the world premiere of Splinter  

Montreal, March 2, 2021 – The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership is pleased to announce the launch of a new interactive work that will animate Place des Festivals from March 4 to 28. Splinter, created in Quebec, will have its world premiere as part of Luminothérapie | Cœur battant and MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE. The all-new digital installation will join the immersive and safe series of installations that have been on display downtown since December. 

Montrealers will have the chance to explore Splinter, by Quebec companies Ottomata and Jack World, co-produced by the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, Light Night Leeds, Leeds City Council and Arts Council England. Splinter is an interactive sound-and-light installation featuring five immense monoliths from the depths of the Earth. Arranged in a circle in Place des Festivals, the monoliths are home to mysterious entities. The intriguing shadow figures respond to visitors’ movements and communicate with each other in a majestic dance of geometric shapes, accompanied by enchanting music and sound effects. When multiple monoliths are activated simultaneously, the installation reveals even more of its secrets. “The idea is for people to enjoy the experience on a physical level. This imposing work is inspired by nature and its shapes and interdependencies. The installation listens and entices people to interact with it. Each reaction is triggered by an action. Nothing happens magically – there is always a reason. We want the public to be the catalyst for a series of connected events,” said Splinter designer Hugo Laliberté of Ottomata. 

LUMINOTHÉRAPIE | CŒUR BATTANT: POPULAR WINTER EVENT EXTENDED

By popular demand, Luminothérapie | Cœur battant and its original, creative winter art walk will keep bringing light and life to downtown Montreal until March 28. Come (re)discover Loop by Olivier Girouard, Jonathan Villeneuve and Ottoblix; Index, designed by Ottoblix; Entre les rangs by KANVA Architecture; Nouvelle Lune by Sebbe Joly and Bernard Duguay, a Lucion production; and Spectrum, a HUB Studio creation. The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership is presenting the five works on Sainte-Catherine Street, the Place des Arts Esplanade and Place des Festivals. “From the beginning of this special edition of Luminothérapie, it has been clear that Montrealers are thrilled to find that the Quartier des Spectacles is a lively, safe and beautifully illuminated destination. Our installations meet a real need for wonderment, light and serenity,” said Éric Lefebvre, executive director of the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership. 

MOMENT COEUR BATTANT: THE CITY’S CULTURAL HEART IS STILL STRONG

Every evening, the Moment cœur battant, created by Martin Messier, Julie Basse and Olivier Girouard, brings a wonderful dance of red and white lights, set to original music, to the buildings and streets of the Quartier. Evoking the heartbeat of Montrealers and their downtown, the nightly event is a rallying cry and a reminder that the city is alive and well, its creative heart still beating strong.

The city lights up nightly thanks to the ongoing participation of L’Avenue du Mont-Royal, BAnQ | Grande Bibliothèque, Biosphère, Environment Museum, Complexe Desjardins, Olympic Park, Vitrine Culturelle, Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, Monument-National, Place des Arts, Pointe-à-Callière, Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History, Théâtre du Nouveau Monde and Théâtre de Quat'Sous. 

ENJOY WHILE FOLLOWING PUBLIC HEALTH GUIDELINES

The amenities and installations that comprise Luminothérapie | Cœur battant were designed with public health in mind, including physical distancing. These experiences allow visitors to live and relax safely in the Quartier des Spectacles. The Partnership urges all Montrealers to follow recommendations for preventing the spread of COVID-19.

HOW TO GET TO DOWNTOWN MONTREAL?

• Public transportation: the area is served by numerous STM bus routes and more than ten metro stations on the green and orange lines.

• Driving: free street parking on Friday evenings starting at 6 p.m. and on weekends during March, more than 520 underground spaces available through the P$ Montréal Centre-Ville app.

• Cycling: there are countless bike lanes in downtown Montreal.

• The area includes access points for persons with reduced mobility. Please visit the websites for specific places for details.

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. 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.

To learn more about the competition, and for a list of previous years’ winners, see the Luminothérapie press kit. 

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. Year round, the district is home to countless festivals and events, and hosts innovative urban installations involving cutting-edge lighting design, immersive environments or interactive digital spaces. 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 85 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 benefits from the support of the Ville de Montréal.

More information: quartierdesspectacles.com

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MEDIA CONTACT
Mélanie Mingotaud
Communications Mingotwo
melanie@mingo2.ca
(514) 582-5272

APPENDICES

Splinter

Presented by the Partenariat du Quartier des Spectacles Partnership as part of Luminothérapie | Cœur battant and MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE

Creation: Ottomata

Design and manufacturing: Jack World

Design: Hugo Laliberté, Jonathan Jeanson and François Blouin

Creative Programming: Hugo Laliberté, Jonathan Jeanson and Samuel Tremblay
Interactive Sound Design: Hugo Laliberté and Jonathan Jeanson
Technical design for manufacturing: Robin Gourcerol and Olivier Lebeau
Project Manager: Pierre-Luc Gauthier
Manufacturing workshop managers: Charles Lamarre and Alexandre Jacques

Co-produced by the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, Light Night Leeds (UK), with UK funding support from Arts Council England and Leeds City Council (UK).