Loop © Ulysse Lemerise, OSA
A NEW CELEBRATION OF QUEBEC LITERATURE
Announcing the return of Loop to Montreal for this winter’s Light Therapy Beating heart, an original participatory art walk open from December 3, 2020 to March 14, 2021. Loop is an iconic Luminothérapie work by Olivier Girouard, Jonathan Villeneuve and Ottoblix. It is the centrepiece of this winter’s expanded special edition of Luminothérapie. It will be set up in the Place des Festivals, in a new iteration that will delight visitors of all ages. The sequel celebrates Quebec literature and is produced with the support of SODEC. It was created to represent Quebec at the 2021 Frankfurt Book Fair, where Canada will be the Guest of Honour. Every evening after sunset, the façade of UQÀM’s Pavillon Président-Kennedy will light up with the companion video projection Index, by Ottoblix.
Four years after its premiere in Montreal, which was followed by several stops around the world, Loop has an all-new set of visuals, which will debut this winter in the Quartier des Spectacles. The music-and-light installation comprises 12 giant zoetropes – an optical toy that was a precursor to animated film – in which visitors are invited to sit. When they activate the mechanism, they will see an awe-inspiring flipbook-style animation of images by Quebec illustrators, inspired by 12 works by some of our greatest authors. The experience is complemented by a new soundtrack for each zoetrope, inspired by the theme of the animation. “SODEC is proud to support the Loop project, which celebrates our literature and culture using local expertise and talent in digital arts. Audiences will discover the grand premiere of a work that pairs 12 talented illustrators with great Québécois literary works. Loop will also showcase our literature at ARTS+, the digital section of the 2021 Frankfurt Book Fair,” said Louise Lantagne, President and CEO of SODEC.
The 24 authors and illustrators involved include Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette, whose The Fleeing Woman is illustrated by Estelle Frenette-Vallières, Bondrée by Andrée A. Michaud illustrated by Urban9 and Tous des oiseaux by Wajdi Mouawad illustrated by Jacques Goldstyn. The children’s book Beyond the Forest,co-written by Nadine Robert and Gérard Dubois, is illustrated by Gérard Dubois, Émilie Turgeon’snovel Silence is d’or is brought to the zoetrope by Pinabel, and I am a Japanese writer by Dany Laferrière is illustrated by Mathieu Potvin. The late Gabrielle Roy is also featured, with her classic Bonheur d’occasion (The Tin Flute) illustrated by the talented Todd Stewart. Amélie Tourangeau made illustrations for Six Degrees of Freedom by Nicolas Dickner, whileÉléonore Goldberg’s drawings bring Catherine Mavrikakis’novel The Bay City Sky to life. Josephine Bacon’s poem Uiesh – Somewhere is rendered in visual form by Marie-Hélène Turcotte. The Space Factor by Guillaume Perreault is illustrated by Camille Pomerlo, and Fannie Cloutier by Stephanie Lapointe is illustrated by Marianne Ferrer. “Since 2016, Loop has read up the faces of many people around the world. We are very excited to present the work in Montreal once again. Taking inspiration from Quebec’s literature, this time the 12 giant zoetropes will present 12 favorite literary works as interpreted by talented illustrators. I have no doubt viewers will be transported by these colorful stories,” said Loop’s designer, Olivier Girouard.
Complementing the playful Loop experience is a video projection titled Index,to be presented on the façade of UQÀM’s Pavillon Président-Kennedy. The original work, by Ottoblix, salutes the literary world with a series of 12 colourful, joyful and festive sequences.
Loop was originally created for Luminothérapie: Quebec’s largest open competition for temporary public art installations, an initiative of the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership. The work has captivated thousands of people in major cities and cultural events around the world, showcasing talented Montrealers in the process. Loop has been presented in more than 24 cities in North America and Europe since 2017. “We are very happy to have the privilege of unveiling this magnificent new iteration of Loop, the centrepiece of Luminothérapie | Cœur battant. It is such a proud representation of our artists’ immense creativity, and a fascinating journey through our literature, put into moving pictures by Quebec’s talented illustrators,” said Éric Lefebvre, Executive Director of the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership.
ENJOY WHILE FOLLOWING PUBLIC HEALTH GUIDELINES
The amenities and installations that comprise Luminothérapie | Cœur battant were designed with public health in mind, particularly 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.
Light therapy Beating heart
From December 3, 2020 to March 14, 2021
#coeurbattant #luminothérapie #quartierdesspectacles
Part of Light Therapy Beating heart
December 3, 2020, to March 14, 2021
Place des Festivals
Sunday-Wednesday: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Thursday-Saturday: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
#LoopMtl
Designers: Olivier Girouard, Jonathan Villeneuve and Ottoblix
Collaborators: Generique Design, Thomas Ouellet Frederick, Dominic Thibault, Adsum Lab and Jérôme D. Roy
Illustrators: Gérard Dubois, Marianne Ferrer, Estelle Frenette-Vallières, Éléonore Goldberg, Jacques Goldstyn, Pinabel, Camille Pomerlo, Mathieu Potvin, Todd Stewart, Amélie Tourangeau, Marie-Hélène Turcotte, Urban9
A co-production of EKUMEN and the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership
Part of Light Therapy Beating heart
December 3, 2020, to March 14, 2021
Facade of UQÀM’s President-Kennedy Pavilion
Daily from sunset to 11 p.m.
An Ottoblix creation
Illustration: Daria Pelsher
Motion designers: Daria Pelsher, Germán Moreno and Mathieu Tremblay
Graphic designer: Trina Daniel
Project manager: Mélanie Boudreau Blanchard
Studio director: Galilé Marion-Gauvin
A production of the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership
