SUMMER CONTINUES IN THE QUARTIER DES SPECTACLES!

                           _Press release - For immediate release_

Montreal, August 3, 2015 – Starting August 6, Sainte-Catherine St. comes alive as a public space, once again welcoming musical showcases and other activities. No fewer than 19 musical acts from seven different record labels will play brief free concerts, to entertain passersby and introduce them to a few of their songs. The Maëstro installation will also returning to the Place des Festivals twice in August. Pedestrians will enjoy Sainte-Catherine St. which remains closed to vehicle traffic between Bleury and Saint-Laurent until September 7. The giant chessboards will also be back.

On the Promenade des Artistes, the 21 balançoires (21 Swings) installation returns for the first time after the major summer festivals, to the delight of young and old Montrealers and visitors who have been asking for the return of this signature installation of the Quartier des Spectacles.

MUSIC

From Thursday to Sunday between August 6 and 16, solo artists and bands will play short outdoor shows in three areas along Sainte-Catherine. From August 6 to 9, check out Francis Faubert, Fire/Works, Louis-Phillippe Gingras, Paul Jacobs, Millimetrik, OPF, Dany Placard and Debbie Tebbs. August 13 to 16: Ludovic Alarie, Choses sauvages, Hein Cooper, Orkestar Kriminal, Foreign Diplomats, Les Guerres d’l’Amour, Colin Moore, Benoît Paradis, Saratoga, Adrian Underhill and Rosie Valland.

For more details: quartierdesspectacles.com/sainte-catherine

BE A MAëSTRO

From August 6 to 10 and August 28 to September 9, the public is once again invited to pick up the baton and conduct the Place des Festivals fountain with the interactive Maëstro installation. Just step up to the podium, pick up the sensor-equipped baton with sensors and control the fountain’s spouts, which will activate in sync with your motions and the music. This interactive work was designed by Atomic3 for the Quartier des Spectacles. Participate in the launch of this event, August 6 at noon, on the Place des Festivals , with the OSM’s Assistant Conductor, Dina Gilbert! It is free and open to everyone. Maëstro is also part of the free activities of the OSM Classical Spree Festival, August 7 and 8, at its usual times.

THE RETURN OF 21 BALANÇOIRES

A Quartier des Spectacles signature installation, 21 Balançoires (21 Swings), returns to the Promenade des Artistes until October 18. The work by Daily tous les jours is part street furniture and part game, in which when users enjoy a cooperative musical experience. While one person swinging triggers individual musical notes, several people swinging at once, it creates a melody. After dark, the swings of 21 Balançoires light up to create a dance of lights. It’s a wonderful way to enjoy summer and fall nights!

GIANT CHESSBOARDS

The four giant chessboards are back on Sainte-Catherine for a second season. Come and play, or just observe.

DIGITAL ART AT ITS FINEST WITH 9 X [MTL]

If you still haven’t had the chance to see the Quartier des Spectacles transformed by 9 X [MTL] video projections, there’s still time. Until September 6, from nightfall until late, nine buildings become the canvas for a surrealistic world created by videographer Gabriel Poirier-Galarneau and graphic designer Vincent Bilodeau. In this work, the nine permanent video projection sites in the Quartier des Spectacles come alive with animated photo-montages of the city’s iconic people, places and events. The nine sites comprise the world’s largest permanent network dedicated to the exhibition of digital art.

WIFI NETWORK

To better serve Montrealers and visitors the following public spaces in the Quartier des Spectacles are connected to a WiFi network: Place des Festivals, Promenade des Artistes, Sainte-Catherine St., Parterre, Place de la Paix, Place Émilie-Gamelin.

ABOUT THE QUARTIER DES SPECTACLES

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 also hosts innovative urban installations involving cutting-edge lighting design, immersive environments or interactive digital spaces. It also presents artistic video projections on several building façades, year round. The Quartier des Spectacles is an international showcase for new multimedia technology, making Montreal a global leader in the urban exhibition of digital content.

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Contact : Marie Lamoureux – marie.lamoureux@quartierdesspectacles.com – 514 923-6772