Bold Works for Public Space in the Quartier des Spectacles in 2026

PRESS RELEASE

Bold Works for Public Space in the Quartier des Spectacles in 2026 

Montreal, April 13, 2026 — The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership announces a new series of co-presented and co-produced works to be presented in the public spaces of the Quartier des Spectacles during the 2026 season. The works were selected from the second annual call for proposals, launched in the fall of 2025. They stand out for their boldness and commitment to renewed creativity for public space, achieved by focusing on multidisciplinary experimentation, interactivity and audience participation.

The selected works include four video projections to be displayed on building façades in the Quartier, while several other works include interactive or participatory elements, inviting the public to actively engage with the work. Installations, performances and urban activities will take place in various public spaces, reaffirming the Quartier des Spectacles’ status as a true open-air creative laboratory. The artists and collectives include the studio AATOAA, Martin Messier, kondition pluriel, as well as Caroline Laurin-Beaucage and Chélanie Beaudin-Quintin, recognized for their innovative approaches. The program also includes a first-ever co-production with the Festival des arts de ruelle (FAR), which will present a large participatory parade this summer to mark the 50th anniversary of the Montreal Olympic Games. 

Making the Quartier a Year-Round Creative Hub

Throughout the year, the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership presents a cultural program that complements existing offerings and supports a variety of artistic practices in public space.  

“This second edition of the call for proposals confirms the Partnership’s commitment to showcasing works created for public space by supporting bold and compelling works. The selected projects reflect a diverse range of practices, from digital art to street art, along with social and cultural mediation. By presenting their work in the Quartier des Spectacles, these artists and organizations are helping to transform the downtown core into a space for collective, accessible and sensitive artistic experiences, where the encounter between audiences, works and the territory is central to the approach,” said Émilie Chabot, Director of Development and Programming at the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership.

The call for proposals for co-produced and co-presented works is an annual initiative that invites artists and organizations to propose an artistic project in one of five modes: installation, urban design, animation, video projection or exhibition. The third annual call will open on September 1, 2026.

12 Works to Discover in Public Spaces in the Coming Months

Terra – A creation by Vincent Morisset & Caroline Robert of AATOAA

April 14 to May 5
Place des Festivals and the façade of Édifice Wilder | Espace danse

Terra is an interactive video projection.  In real time, it integrates the faces of passersby into ephemeral murals shown on the façade of the Wilder Building. This playful shared experience celebrates the beauty resulting from our search for connection.

Feria FTA – Festival TransAmériques (FTA)

May 29 to 31
Esplanade Tranquille  

Bosque by Clarice Lima - Festival TransAmériques (FTA)

May 30 and 31
Place des Festivals

For its 20^th edition, the FTA presents a festive weekend. People of all ages are invited to Esplanade Tranquille for a series of activities: parties, dance workshops, story time, film screenings, a craft market and more. Meanwhile on Place des Festivals, Bosque, a strange forest of legs pointing skyward, featuring some 30 Montrealers, is a poetic and political work that transforms the city and sparks the imagination.

Inframondes by Sabrina Ratté and Cabaret Essence by Athena Lucie Assamba – OFFTA

May 29 to June 5
Place de la Paix

OFFTA presents a diptych of Inframondes by Sabrina Ratté and Cabaret Essence by Athena Lucie Assamba, blending technological arts and audience participation in an immersive experience. 

Métissage urbain – Exeko

Every Saturday from July 18 to August 8, Place de la Paix
Every Saturday from August 15 to September 5, Place Émilie-Gamelin as part of Les Jardins Gamelin

This artistic residency brings together artists, mediators and citizens, including people experiencing homelessness, around collective creations that encourage participation and expression. 

Jeu(x) de lumières – Society for Arts and Technology [SAT]

August 20 to September 3
Place de la Paix

An immersive and collaborative installation in which the audience’s movements activate beams of light, transforming the square into an interactive playground. 

Freefold – 14 Lieux and Martin Messier

August 14, 15, and 16
Esplanade Tranquille

This immersive performance featuring 20 dancers explores the tensions between technological control and artistic freedom, offering an immersive experience where the performers and the urban environment resonate with one another.

La parade olympienne du FAR – Festival des arts de ruelle (FAR)

September 5
A procession through the Quartier des Spectacles, along Sainte-Catherine Street from Place des Festivals to Place Émilie-Gamelin.

A festive, participatory parade marking the 50^th anniversary of the Montreal Olympic Games. The public is invited to take part in this collective celebration in motion.

D’images en mouvement – Festival Quartiers Danses

September 2026 (dates to be confirmed)
Place des Festivals and the façade of Édifice Wilder | Espace danse

A project combining a video projection and live performances, exploring the connections between dance and image through a dialogue between cinema and the performing arts.

Flood – kondition pluriel

September 14 to October 4
Façade of UQAM’s Pavillon Président-Kennedy

This video projection transforms foundational human rights texts into visual and auditory landscapes, addressing contemporary environmental issues.

Corps immergés – A work by Chélanie Beaudin-Quintin and Caroline Laurin-Beaucage

November 2 to 26
Façade of Édifice Wilder | Espace danse

A projected dance piece exploring the transformation of movement and time through water. A sensory and contemplative experience.

Un conte dans la glace – Toxique Trottoir

Winter 2026–2027 (dates to be confirmed)
Place Pasteur

This interactive theatrical installation features a mysterious iceberg, offering children and their families a poetic reflection on our relationship with life and climate change. 

About the Quartier des Spectacles and the Partnership

The Quartier des Spectacles is the cultural heart of Montreal, boasting North America’s largest and most diverse concentration of cultural amenities. The Quartier’s 1 km² of urban space delights audiences year round thanks to nearly 80 performance venues and creative spaces and 50 annual festivals. The district also showcases innovative urban installations and cutting edge digital art and lighting design. The Quartier des Spectacles positions Montreal as an international leader in urban animation, making it a prime destination for culture and tourism. 

The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, founded in 2003, is a non-profit organization with more than 85 members active in the district. It is responsible for animating the Quartier des Spectacles by programming cultural activities, managing and animating public spaces, providing distinctive illumination and promoting the Quartier as a must-visit cultural destination. The Partnership benefits from the support of the Ville de Montréal.

– 30 –

PHOTOS

Download

Please include full captions and credits.

MEDIA CONTACT

Mélanie Mingotaud
Communications Mingotwo
melanie@mingo2.ca
514 582-5272

SOURCE

Chloé Goldstein
Quartier des Spectacles Partnership
chloe.goldstein@quartierdesspectacles.com
514 812-2193