Montreal is marking the 375th anniversary of its founding in 1641. One of the ways the city is celebrating is with projection art that tells stories from the city’s history. Cité Mémoire (Memory City) consists of 18 installations, projected on buildings, roads, and even trees. There is audio to go with them, accessible through an app on your mobile device. Juergen Horn and Mike Powell made a video giving us a little taste.
If it were just short movies projected against the sides of buildings, Cité Mémoire would be cool, but not all that memorable. However, each of the eighteen tableaux has been produced with the utmost artistry. They’re the work of some of Quebec’s most renowned multidisciplinary artists. The projections are poetic, haunting and beautiful, and each one makes perfect use of its individual location.
For example, the tableaux about the 1849 burning of the Parliament is found at the old firehouse in the Place d’Youville. The projection uses a walled-up window on the building to create the illusion of a concerned couple peering outside. You watch along with them as protesters gather in front of the building across the street, which has been illuminated to resemble the Parliament. As it burns, the effect is stunning.
Read more about Cité Mémoire and see lots of pictures at For 91 Days.