Luminothérapie and high-tech creativity light up city life

A ride on an illuminated seesaw while surrounded by storeys-tall video projections may be all you need to get comfortable with Montréal winter this December. The city greets the season with the new glittering creations of annual event Luminothérapie, reflecting just how ahead of the technological curve Montréal is all year, whether in video gaming or art making.

The sixth edition of Luminothérapie, held December 10 to January 31, builds on Montréal’s affinity for technological innovation with a distinctly artistic and cultural edge – this year’s event turns Place des Festivals into an interactive-art playground filled with 30 seesaws emitting sound and light. Inspired by Montrealers’ love of outdoor play no matter what the weather, the designers of Impulse – Lateral Office, CS Design and EGP Group – have created a cheerful gathering place in the heart of downtown.

Meanwhile, video projections by Montréal-based digital art team Maotik and Iregular transform nearby Théâtre Maisonneuve and UQAM’s President–Kennedy building as well as the Grande Bibliothèque, UQAM bell tower and five more looming facades into screens for gorgeous abstract visuals accompanied by soundtracks by Toronto-based artist Mitchell Akiyama.

Luminothérapie grew out of Montréal’s participation in UNESCO’s Creative Cities Network, a global network exchanging ideas on innovative urban culture. Montréal’s own tech-meets-art scene extends from cultural production to video game companies such as Ubisoft and EA to tech-savvy start-ups such as clothing brand Frank Oak and music mastering service LANDR, and several educational institutions that cultivate skills and ideas for new software, games, apps and other digital technologies.

Shortly after Luminothérapie, MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE lights up downtown with arts and entertainment in February. From March to June, the Montréal Digital Spring art and culture festival sparks the city with architectural installations, interactive exhibitions and contemporary creations by forward-thinking artists. In late May, artists and fans from around the world flock to the MUTEK festival of electronic music and digital creativity and the ELEKTRA digital art festival to see legendary and up-and-coming electronic music producers and cutting-edge artists, while Eastern Bloc hosts the intriguing Sight Sound Festival of emerging digital art. Also in late spring, the C2 Montréal conference welcomes some of the biggest people and companies adamantly promoting creativity and technological innovation in business.

As the seasons change, Montréal introduces new multimedia art to downtown’s Quartier des Spectacles, situated around Sainte-Catherine Street from Place des Festivals to Place Émilie-Gamelin – keep your eyes open for colourful interactive video and games projections, people-powered art installations (like 21 Swings) and film screenings. Year-round, the Société des Arts Technologiques screens incredible 360-degree audiovisual creations in its encompassing dome and holds workshops in digital art and electronic music, while the state-of-the-art domed theatre at the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium adds outer space to the audiovisual mix. And throughout the city, from Mile End to the Olympic Stadium, you’ll find both permanent and temporary public art installations – see the Art public Montréal web site to track them down or simply walk along the streets.