2022

Déracinements (Uprooting)
For the past 7 years, Quebec City has hosted the walking theatre "Where you go when you sleepwalk" by the Carrefour international de theatre, a circuit that brings visitors to discover several performances by artists of various disciplines. Approximately 70,000 people converged on Parc des Moulins in 2022 to discover, among others, the painting Déracinements by creator Lorraine Côté and architect Étienne Bernier (Agence Spatiale).

Ambulatory show
Set up on the site of the Indo-Australian greenhouse that was recently destroyed, we find a large wire mesh structure housing groups of individuals from all eras, from coureurs des bois to climate refugees, who are constantly uprooted. Illuminated, the greenhouse-inspired structure is reminiscent of the zoo's animals, who were also uprooted from their environments. Uprooted by a twist of fate, following a natural disaster, or by an irresistible need for change, groups of individuals attempt to regain some sort of stability by setting up camp and recreating their environments. Suddenly, a signal sounds. It's time to leave and pack up again. As the actors get busy, the wire mesh arches take on a vaporous, ghostly quality thanks to the lighting. Sometimes warm, sometimes cold, the luminous tones accentuate the sense of urgency or serenity felt during the performance and allow the structure to evolve at the same pace.

The memory
Playing on the idea of memory and a metaphysical approach, the project is inspired by what has been built and what no longer exists, but which is finally brought back to life by the architecture of a barely perceptible, almost unreal structure that draws on the imagination. Through this celebration of heritage, this ghostly ephemeral installation expresses a certain permanence through collective memory. The work will be repeated in a future edition of "Where you go when you sleepwalk".

The experience
This large-scale project is unusual in that it is entirely hand-made and the construction costs are low due to the use of modest materials. Designed to serve the work presented, the concept takes on its full meaning when illuminated and comes to life when inhabited. This colossal set immersed the artists and spectators in an almost spectral world.

The result of a multidisciplinary team that brings together artists, architects, lighting designers, stylists, directors and actors, the project invites architecture off the beaten track to decompartmentalize the profession and put itself at the service of culture, at the frontier between staging, art, architecture, and events. Our mission here is to invite people to take a fresh look at their environment and introduce art into their daily lives to question themselves... or just for fun!

SPECS
Behind this mystical-looking project lies a simple execution. The concept draws its strength from the use of low-cost materials that are reinterpreted to add value. Only two elements were used for the realization of the project. The steel structure, the same as the one used for the stage lighting, and the galvanized hexagonal wire mesh envelope (chicken wire). The cutting and assembly of the whole installation were done by hand, a demanding work that offers an incomparable result.

The set is divided into three sections, one of 60'X40', the second of 20'x40' and the last one made of three fragments of 10'10', the whole being 20' high. The installation, although ephemeral, is not for one-time use only, it has been dismantled, stored and is currently evolving into a second different version that will see the light of day in 2023. To be a responsible project, the size and shape of the structure were designed to maximize the use of the mesh and its basic format (4' x100') to minimize waste. The installation of the structure had a minimal impact on the ground, as it was simply placed on the ground.
The installation looks great when illuminated, and the integration of the lighting was easy due to the choice of stage structures used. Furthermore, light pollution was minimized by lighting the center of the structure.