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Spring is coming to the Palais
Steps away from Old Montreal and accessible directly from the Place-d'Armes metro station, in spring 2019 the Palais des congrès de Montréal is focusing on one of Montréal's major assets: the boldness of its creators.
Works of art and interactive design installations come together in the Palais' public spaces, offering its 850,000 visitors a glimpse of Montréal's creative flair.
It starts outside, at the corner of Avenue Viger West and Rue Saint-Urbain, with an imposing structure made of logs. RAYON is an invitation to gather around the cultural references that punctuate the Quebec winters and the hope for spring that follows.
Indoors, coming from the metro station, you can’t miss the huge bear cardboard sculpture that prompts visitors to smile, a nod to the fauna of Quebec.
While strolling in the commercial gallery and in the halls of Place Riopelle and Viger, one crosses in turn to l’ïlot Vert, a highly designed collaborative workspace where the table-swing replaces a traditional meeting table, ping-pong tables invite games, public pianos personalized by artists wait for fingers and charging stations that offer you the chance to use a bit of energy as your mobiles fill up with energy!
All of this is very beautiful, colorful and inviting during spring, which sometimes lacks warmth and color outside!
Mural is back
The International Public Art Festival will be back for its seventh presentation on Boulevard Saint-Laurent, from June 6 to 16. In addition to murals painted on facades, this year will welcome digital platform creations, installations and works designed to be seen at night.
And as a sign of the times, for the first time in seven years, it is a woman, the Colombian artist and muralist Gleo, who will create the visual identity of Mural and will create, at the corner of the streets Prince-Arthur and St. Urbain, one of the great murals of this year.
Many other well-known muralists and sculptors will create murals and works and free concerts are also scheduled with local artists Milk & Bone and Choses sauvages, Moonshine and Alaclair Ensemble. An international dance competition will take place as well as an LGBTQ + party.
And finally, you too can leave your mark. Indeed, children, as well as adults, are invited to participate in digital creation workshops using an application that allows to imagine a work on a wall. The event will be held in the TD Bank parking lot, opposite the epicenter of the festival (3527 Saint-Laurent Boulevard).
Montréal en Histoires
The Montréal en Histoires path, which unfolds over twenty or so tableaux that spring up on the walls, on the trees and even on the ground from one end of Old Montreal to the other, has been enriched and extended this year.
At the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel, interior tableaux can be activated in the Agora of the hotel. At Phillips Square, in the city center, a new virtual reality station invites visitors to immerse themselves in the history of the square.
Another path, which is accessible by foot or bike, "Stories and Bridges,” allows visitors to discover the city from a new perspective. This route, linking the Jacques-Cartier and Champlain bridges to the Champlain Bridge Estacade via the Greater Montreal cycling network, was created to highlight the importance that role bridges played in the history and development of the metropolis.
Depending on your geolocation, you will have the choice between a 30 or 60-minute course that you can do at your own pace. You will learn why the Jacques Cartier Bridge is crooked, how La Ronde and the St. Lawrence Seaway were built, and what role the Champlain Bridge Estacade plays. As the construction of the new Samuel-de-Champlain Bridge is coming to an end, revisiting images of the construction of the 1957 "Vieux Pont Champlain" is rather interesting to see before it disappears.
You can also book a 1.5 hour tour for $20 and even book your own private tour with family and friends.
The soundtrack and historical contexts are available in 4 languages: French, English, Spanish and Mandarin.
Do not forget to download or update the free Montréal en Histoires application and its contents before traveling to Montréal to experience the Cité Mémoire experience.
An impressive journey into the cosmos
The Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium presents Passport for the Universe. It is a film that transports us from the Earth to the vast interstellar expanse that surrounds it, prompting us to realize that we are still much less than a speck of dust in the vast interstellar expanse, which we are constantly discovering and of which we still know very little.
Guided by the voice of actress Anne Dorval in French and actor Tom Hanks in English, we take off from the Earth to pass through the rings of Saturn before entering the Orion nebula that offers us spectacular images. Entering an enigmatic black hole before returning to Earth is another futuristic experience offered by this Passport to the Universe. It is a trip that will remain unforgettable!
Created in 2005, the film was completely remastered in 2017 combining spectacular images and unprecedented accuracy based on the most recent global discoveries.
Upon leaving the projection room, a series of 30 lunar crater sketches challenge us. Montreal artist Bettina Forget has chosen to illustrate thirty lunar craters – of 1,700 - that carry female names through this exhibition, called Femmes d'impact. It is a nice way to denounce the under-representation of women in the field of science in general.
To increase your enjoyment, you will have to cross the street to go to the Botanical garden, which never fails to dazzle us with its many gardens, including the Japanese Garden, the Garden of China, the Garden of First Nations, the House of the Frédéric-Back tree, its ten greenhouses and thirty other thematic gardens.
After a journey into the cosmos, it’s quite nice to explore all of the colors and smells that the Earth so generously provides! At Metro Viau
First Fridays at the largest ephemeral terrace in town
Not far away, on the esplanade of the Olympic Park, Montreal's flagship street food event is back for an eighth year. With more than 50 food trucks, it's the largest gathering of its kind in Canada .
If you are there on the first Friday of the month between 4 pm and 11 pm, from May through October, this is an event that is not to be missed. The best of Quebec street food is offered: from the now-classic Mignon truck churros, Di Lallo burgers and Mi Corazon tacos to the creamy Pops delicacies. There is definitely something for everyone.
All of this is with live music, wine and cold beer, and activities for the whole family.
The dates of the First Fridays are June 7th, July 5th, August 2nd, September 6th and October 4th. Entry to the site is free.
At Metro PIE IX -Access via Pierre-de-Coubertin Street.
Get ready to make some great discoveries!
The first urban art museum in Canada
After Barcelona, Amsterdam, Berlin and St. Petersburg, a first urban art museum has been established in the coveted neighborhood of Mile End, Montreal.
The Romeo's Museum aims to democratize urban art and create bridges in unlikely spaces to bring communities together around what makes you think and move forward.
Its selection is built around painters, illustrators, muralists and contemporary artists. 24 murals by Montreal artists now decorate the staircases of 5445 and 5455 avenue de Gaspé, two buildings that testify to the excitement of urban life and the creative spirit of Montreal.
In addition to being free, the museum is open to all year-round, 24 hours a day.
This is an excellent opportunity to discover another facet of Montreal's creativity.
Mile End, Montreal. 12-minute walk to Laurier Metro station.
As you can see, there is always something new in Montreal and one must take the opportunity to explore this city, which continues to impress with its effervescence and creativity!
Welcome back to Montreal, again and again!
Christiane Théberge
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