Client: mirari

Overview

In the enormous land that is Quebec, a virtual infinity of waterways – from creeks to the mighty St. Lawrence – are home to abundant flora and fauna. Whether fresh or salty, the water flows harmoniously before freezing on winter’s arrival. We take advantage of these enormous natural mirrors to go for a nice long skate. But are the creatures under our blades really hibernating?

Behind the skaters, the blades leave a winter fresco on the ice – the marks following them allow glimpses of a fascinating imaginary underwater world, a parallel universe inhabited by aquatic and terrestrial animals. Fish, whales and tortoises are unveiled through an interactive video projection by mirari and Normal Studio and follow the skaters playfully.

Goals

The interactive experience was first and foremost created as part of Luminotherapie to pay homage to Nordicity and its biodiversity. The public is invited to take out their skates and enjoy winter through a unique immersive journey into Quebec’s vast bodies of water. They learn to get along with the neighbors under their feet and become the current, the maelstrom, the celestial energy. Their imagination glides into a world that belongs to dreams: the world of Lac Tranquille.

Process

Creating an immersive and interactive outdoor ice experience comes with a lot of challenges. To make the project possible, two creative studios have chosen to collaborate: the co-founder and creative director of mirari Thomas Payette has teamed up with Philippe Belhumeur, creative director at normal studio.

The pooling of their strengths in video content creation and interaction made it possible for the painting to come to life and evolve each evening according to the number of participants and their unique dance on the ice.