Productions Portfolio
Creation in the Quartier des Spectacles
The Quartier des Spectacles is the creative heart of Montreal, a veritable playground where art radiates out in all its forms. From urban art murals and prestigious theater stages to avant-garde galleries and futuristic digital installations, the Quartier vibrates to the rhythm of creation. Every street corner, every facade, every public space is an invitation to discover the local and international art scene. It’s a meeting place for the talents and trends that shape the city and the world.
THE THROBBING PULSE OF LIVE ARTS
An infinite playground for theatrical creation and the performing arts in all their forms, the Quartier lives to the rhythm of iconic theaters such as the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde, Duceppe and Monument-National, which host the best of Quebec and international theater. Nearby, the WILDER - Espace danse building is a mecca for contemporary dance. At Place des Arts, spaces such as Cinquième salle, Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier and Théâtre Maisonneuve celebrate interdisciplinarity and the more classical forms of ballet and opera. Live performances are ubiquitous: from popular to avant-garde, to text-based theater and circus, to comedy and outdoor site-specific performances.
AN OPEN-AIR PUBLIC ART GALLERY
Day and night, public art reigns in a myriad of locations throughout the Quartier. On facades, in building lobbies or in the heart of public squares, these creations shape the city’s cultural identity. A few examples? At the Place-des-Arts metro station, the stained-glass window featuring Frédéric Back’s Histoire de la musique à Montréal captures the musical spirit of the city. Françoise Sullivan’s sculpture Montagne adorns the entrance to UQAM’s Pavillon Président-Kennedy, while Stephen Schofield’s Où boivent les loups invites poetic contemplation on Jeanne-Mance Street. The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership offers a gateway to these timeless artistic treasures through ephemeral itineraries and festivals.
THE HEARTBEAT OF MURAL AND URBAN ARTS
The facades of the Quartier is filled with urban art like an open-air museum. After all, the city boasts a vibrant community of urban artists and muralists, and our streets are a reflection of this. Local talents on the mural art scene—123KLAN, Miss Me, Roadsworth and Zilon, to name but a few—have all signed a work on one surface or another, often in collaboration with art organizations such as Ashop, Artgang, LNDMRK, MASSIVart, Mu, and Under Pressure. Works like the ones adorning the Habitations Jeanne-Mance or the one dedicated to Paul-Émile Borduas on the eponymous square make for a unique visual experience. Every year, the MURAL Festival and Under Pressure bring this heritage into the limelight, rallying the community around a flourishing urban art scene.
A CROSSROADS FOR CONTEMPORARY VISUAL ARTS
A showcase for contemporary visual arts, the Quartier’s galleries and art centers are in sync with the avant-garde and the bold. At the Musée d’art contemporain (MAC), for example, the most innovative artists of the moment question today’s world through constantly renewed forms. VOX, center de l’image contemporaine, questions the image in all its forms, while Artexte is dedicated to documentation and reflections about art. At the Galerie de l’UQAM, contemporary arts, in a state of continuous experimentation, take on an academic air. The Belgo, an iconic building, brings together some twenty galleries, all following a resolutely modern approach. Between digital arts and poetry, Ellephant is also a model of the avant-garde spirit.
THE EPICENTER OF DIGITAL ARTS
If Montreal is a digital arts hub, the Quartier des Spectacles is its dazzling epicenter. Throughout the year, innovative installations transform facades, galleries and museums into living tableaux. At the Society for Arts and Technology (SAT), an immersive dome features 360-degree experiences that fuse digital art with state-of-the-art sound. Summer festivals like MUTEK showcase the latest advances in digital arts and electronic music, while the MAPP_MTL festival shines a spotlight on video mapping, offering interactive architectural projections to the delight of fascinated festivalgoers. And let’s not forget the video projections produced by the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, which can be seen all year round on iconic surfaces.