Public art to hit Montreal in 'return to abnormality' plan

Montreal -

In its latest bid to bring residents back to the downtown core, the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal revealed Friday several creative projects set to roll out into next year.

Just what the projects will look like is still unclear – a Habs mural is on the docket, along with a “Jardin d'hologrammes” near Dorchester Square.

Moment Factory, the team behind celebrated spectacle installations at the Notre-Dame Basilica and other public venues, will set up a series of “jeux augmentés” through winter 2022.

If it’s anything like previous iterations of the project, attendees will be able to use their bodies to interact with virtual playgrounds projected at their feet.

Nicolas Fonseca, a Montreal artist who uses food in his multimedia installations, will present “Bouchées sonores” this winter along with public art studio Daily tous les jours on Saint-Laurent Boulevard.

Other events include:

• Les Espaces temps, Complexe Desjardins, winter 2022
• Festival Art Souterrain XL, various locations, spring 2022
• Normal Mtl, Hotel Delta, spring 2022
• Projet d'animation et d'installation artistique à Place Ville Marie, Esplanade de Place Ville-Marie, summer 2022

The city says more details on the events will be released soon.

The projects are being planned as part of the chamber of commerce's “J’aime travailler au centre-ville” initiative.

Eight projects, each pitched under the theme “return to abnormality,” will split $3.1 million in government funding.

Officials say the projects will have a “positive impact” on commerce downtown, which is still reeling from the impact of the pandemic.

“Downtown Montreal continues to suffer from health constraints that limit the return of workers to the towers. The revival of commercial activities in this zone therefore remains very fragile,” said Montreal Chamber of Commerce President Michel Leblanc.

Moreover, the initiative aims to draw tourism back to the city.

“This is a real economic engine for Quebec, and that is why it is essential for our government to support it,” wrote Economy and Innovation Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon.