MONTRÉAL, Sept. 3, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - As part of its annual program of activities inspired by light, from September 4 to November 1 Montréal Space for Life is presenting the fourth edition of Gardens of Light, the "highlight" of Montréal fall evenings. This year, the Botanical Garden invites visitors of all ages to amble through the Chinese Garden at dusk to admire and photograph the hundreds of colourful lanterns recalling the Chinese New Year festivities. Then they can top off this luminous experience with a stroll through the heart of the Japanese Garden, where the interplay of shadows and light adds soft hues to the darkness.
"Space for Life is hosting the most "dazzling" event of the fall cultural season with luminous artistic creations appealing to our senses and our emotions," asserts Charles-Mathieu Brunelle, Director of Montréal Space for Life.
"At dusk, the Botanical Garden reveals another side of nature. Once again, we are delighted to be "shedding light" on two of our prestigious cultural gardens. There's no doubt about it – the experience will be absolutely sensational!", claims the Botanical Garden Director, René Pronovost.
"Once again this year, the Botanical Garden is offering visitors something they won't find anywhere else in Montréal. Our gardens are extremely popular and they contribute to the city's reputation as an unparalleled cosmopolitan centre of creativity and innovation, truly building bridges between communities," says Chantal Rossi, Associate City Councillor responsible for culture, heritage and design.
Spotlight on Chinese New Year in the Chinese Garden
You are invited to discover the legends and festive rituals surrounding Chinese New Year, with some 1,000 colourful lanterns. In the centre of Dream Lake, see the story of the sea monster Nian come to life. Legend has it that on the last night of every lunar year, Nian would attack the villagers who had gathered to feast with their families. Fortunately, the villagers finally drove off the troublemaker with red banners, loud noises and blazing lights. My Quynh Duong, the artistic designer of the Botanical Garden's lanterns, was inspired by this story to bring the tradition to life, illustrating it with several giant illuminated figures.
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Changing seasons, shifting light in the Japanese Garden
The cycle of the seasons is an enduring source of awe in the land of the Rising Sun. As you arrive in the Japanese Garden, you'll be dazzled by the illuminated façade of the pavilion. Passages, a new multimedia piece, was created by artist Estela López Solís and musician Hernani Villaseñor, with technical support from La Boîte interactive. It features images of the four seasons, evoking the passage of time and nature's beauty and fleeting changes. Inside the building, you'll find hundreds of origami cranes, symbols of peace, longevity and happiness, illuminated and hanging from the ceiling. Take the time to stop and make a wish! Then make your way into the garden and watch as nature is transformed over the course of the season, with poetic lighting created by the lighting artists from Jutras Bathalon Bureau d'étude lumière. Visitors will be able to admire the surprising hues of the architecture and plants and the hidden details of all the symbols around them.
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Montréal Space for Life is made up of four attractions on the same site: the Botanical Garden, Biodôme, Insectarium and Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium. These four prestigious municipal institutions form Canada's largest natural science museum complex. Together, they are launching a daring, creative urban movement, urging everyone to rethink the connection between humankind and nature and cultivate a new way of living.
For further information and to purchase tickets online, see our website: montrealspaceforlife.ca.
SOURCE Espace pour la vie
Karine Cousineau, Karine Cousineau Communications, 514 382-4844, [email protected]; Karine Jalbert, Montréal Space for Life, 514 872-1453/514 250-3230, [email protected]
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