Upbeat urban illumination
The 14th edition of Luminothérapie taps into Montréal’s affinity for technological innovation with a playfully artistic edge, turning downtown’s Quartier des spectacles into an interactive (and highly Instagrammable) art playground from November 30 to March 10.
Lighting up winter nights in increasingly inventive ways has earned Montréal a reputation as a city of lights – with a high-tech twist. This year’s Luminothérapie installations and projections illuminate several blocks of Saint-Catherine Street downtown, including a series of colourful installations and original video projections that stretch from all the way from Drummond Street to Phillips Square to the facades of the Quartier des Spectacles. As well, at Esplanade Tranquille, ice skate by night among the lights of Au Bord du Lac Tranquille, an interactive experience that lets you paint a trail of colourful light behind you as you skate.
Lighting up the night
Outside Place des Arts, get ready to play like a kid again with interactive installations and let the projection artwork of talented artists entrance and entertain. On the Place des Arts Esplanade see 33-foot-high Astera, created by the French collective TILT: watch as this giant flower transforms under Montréal's night sky.
Also on the Esplanade, marvel at the light and sound tornado of Cymopolée by French studio Luminariste, named after the Greek goddess of storms and natural disasters. Nearby, look up into the treetops at Parc Hydro-Québec to see a constellation of luminous stars in Planètes by French studio Pitaya.
Take control of your environment with interactive installation SOLSTICE by Montréal artist Iregular and Jack World studio. Inspired by solar and planetary movements and seasonal changes, the art work transforms the landmarks in the area located along Sainte-Catherine Street W. between Jeanne-Mance and Saint-Urbain.
Ranging farther west downtown along Sainte-Catherine Street between Drummond and Clark streets, Huge Reeds is impressive: illuminated 33-foot-high giant reeds created byFrench studio Pitaya light up the street, sometimes as if shooting starts, sometimes as if aflame.
And in the heart of the Quartier des Spectacles, see the weather change in a whole new way. Look up to the facade of the President-Kennedy Pavilion at UQAM and the WILDER Building to see the world premiere of futuristic, generative video projection Gravitation, created by Féline B and the Rodeo FX studio – you’ll see evolving real-time visuals based on data from two weather stations located in the area.
Winter shines bright in Montréal
One of many winter holiday activities in Montréal – not to mention one of the free things to do this winter in Montréal – Luminothérapie turns the power on from noon until well after dark in Place des Festivals. Right next door, you'll find entertainment hub Place des Arts, where you can see holiday concerts, dance performances and more. Across Sainte-Catherine Street, check out the sparkling Complexe Desjardins, transformed into a magical Holiday Kingdom this season, with an illuminated fountain, visits with Santa and more. And stroll down Ste. Catherine Street all the way to the Village to see the sights at Christmas in the Park in Place Émilie-Gamelin.
A showcase for primarily local artists, Luminothérapie grew out of Montréal’s participation in UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network, a global network exchanging ideas on innovative urban culture. Montréal's winter inventiveness continues after Luminothérapie, when the MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE festival of food, art and culture lights up downtown in February and early March.
