The three-dimensional, sculptural artistry on display at Grévin Montreal goes beyond what might spring to mind upon hearing the words “wax museum” –  not only are the 120 sculptures extremely lifelike, having been carefully crafted by a team of artists, sculptors, moulders, costume designers, make-up artists, wig makers and hairdressers, but they are located in a space designed to give visitors a hint of their worlds, from film studio to centre ice to red carpet.

Who would have known that when waxworks company Grévin Paris began over 130 years ago, the brainchild of a journalist and an artist, we would today find ourselves inundated by images of famous figures in magazines and newspapers, on screen and on billboards, and yet Grévin’s “art of the real” creations still captivate, in an admirably uncanny way.

And, let’s be honest, even if it might seem a bit silly, it’s kind of awesome to get your picture taken next to your favourite (wax) celeb: we’re talking George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson, Nicolas Cage, John Lennon, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and many, many more, and, of course, Céline Dion along with various Quebec stars such as Maurice Richard, Roch Voisine, André-Philippe Gagnon and Mado Lamotte, as well as major historical figures, making Grévin Montreal a glance into Quebec history too.

While celebrities of time past and present are undoubtedly the highlight of Grévin Montreal, the exhibition also features some impressive, high-tech interactive features. Right from the beginning, we find ourselves transported to another place and time: The Palace of Seasons, a beautiful interactive multimedia environment of colourful video projections in a mirrored room, created by the brilliant minds at Montreal new media company Moment Factory.

Further into the exhibition, EIDOS-Montréal invites visitors to become video characters, trying motion-capture technology and face-projection software. And, proving that education can be fun and cool, the Grévin Workshop lets visitors learn more about the waxworks by putting themselves – at least virtually – through the process of rending reality into wax.

THE DETAILS

Grévin Montreal, Montreal Eaton Centre, 705 Sainte-Catherine West, 5th floor

Photos by Susan Moss

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(city activity) Get the whole family into the very Montreal swing of things outdoors at Quartier des Spectacles where 21 Swings invites people to be a part of an interactive musical experience, simply by swinging, triggering notes with each sway and creating melodies with others – plus, all weekend, 21 Swings is accompanied by interactive video projection 21 Obstacles, on the façade of UQAM’s President-Kennedy pavilion. Watch more bodies in motion as the Montreal Impact, the city’s Major League Soccer team, celebrates its 20th year – catch home games against Chicago on April 27 and again Toronto on May 1 at the newly expanded Saputo Stadium, out at the Olympic Park, also where Space for Life lives, home the Biodome, Botanical Gardens, Insectarium and the new Montreal Planetarium.

(theatre & dance) The entire tale of Harry Potter and friends gets the comedic treatment in British two-man show Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience, a parody of all seven Harry Potter books in 70 hilarious minutes, at Theatre Corona April 25-28. Persian music and contemporary dance merge in Sinha Danse Company’s new production Sunya, for four dancers and three musicians, part of the Danse Danse  spring season, to April 27 at Cinquième Salle. Imago Theatre presents Thinking of YU, a play about a woman’s encounter with the harrowing story of Yu Dongyue, a young Chinese journalist imprisoned for 17 years for throwing paint on a portrait of Mao, at Centaur Theatre (453 St-Francois-Xavier) in Old Montreal. And experience all kinds of contemporary dance, including free workshops and performances at the Montreal Fine Arts Museum, as part of Quebec Danse 2013, to April 29.

(sound & light) See and hear the latest in high-tech electronic music and art performance at the Elektra Festival, May 1-5, featuring over 40 local and international artists such as French musician Mondkopf, visual artist Sabrina Ratté and sound artist Jesse Osborne-Lanthier, and video artist Hugo Arcier on May 2 alone. More visual and audio abundance is in store at the Society for Art and Technology, screening P3rception, surround-sound-and-image films on the 360° screen in the Satosphere dome, to April 29. And the National Film Board of Canada presents The Clockmakers,  an experimental, immersive, four-screen film installation, screening for free at the Salle d’exposition in the main foyer of Place des Arts.

(seen & read) Art abounds at Papier 13, a contemporary art fair for Montreal’s commercial art galleries, who will show contemporary works on paper by all manner of talented artists, April 26-28 at the corner of Bleury and Ste-Catherine in the Quartier des Spectacles – with round table discussions and guided tours throughout the weekend. See new films from Africa, the Caribbean and the diverse African diaspora at film festival Vues d’Afrique , April 26-May 5 at various locations. And dive into the world of books and the authors who write them at the Blue Metropolis Montreal International Literary Festival, featuring talks, readings, discussions and more at Hôtel 10

(10 Sherbrooke W.), to April 28.

(live music) Montreal’s own Jonas & The Massive Attraction come home on their Live Out Loud Tour, wooing fans old and new at the lovely L’Astral on April 27, while Vancouver metal band Bison B.C. rattles minds and bodies at Il Motore (179 Jean Talon W.) and Montreal indie-rock duo Saxsyndrum, along with Holobody, play Casa del Popolo. New Jersey indie-rockers Titus Andronicus come up to play with The So So Glos and Young Lungs, at Club Lambi (4465 St-Laurent) on May 30. Pop diva and Grammy Award winner Rihanna returns to wow the crowd at the Bell Centre on May 1, while Denver, Colorado’s beloved The Lumineer folk-rock the night away with openers You Won’t, at Metropolis, and even thought it’s not Saturday night, Scottish rock band Bay City Rollers has a good time at Theatre Corona. Charming singer Jill Barber serenades with a special show of standards, French covers and more as part of the Montreal Jazz Festival’s Jazz All-Year Round Series, May 2 at Metropolis. And for a taste of what’s super popular in French-language Montreal rock, check out Les Trois Accords, putting on three shows at Le National (1220 Ste-Catherine E.), May 2-4.

The post Things to Do in Montreal April 26-May 2 appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Spring is here, and as the cobwebs of winter get dusted away, doors are flinging open to let in the sunshine. Both Design Montréal Open House, running in various locations across town on May 4 and 5, and the Virée des ateliers, which runs from downtown to Hochelaga-Maisonneuve along Parthenais street from May 9 to 12, invite art and design fans into the interior sanctums of Montreal’s creative geniuses. Both provide an amazing opportunity not only to get a sense of how people work, but to pick up the most unique souvenirs imaginable.Over 100 addresses all over the city are yours to discover on the Design Montréal Open House trajectory, designed to familiarize you with the astounding star power that lives in Montreal, a Unesco City of Design. Among them you can visit the studio and store of Montreal fashion maven Mariouche Gagné, the mind behind the label Harricana, in St-Henri; the workspace and store of Aquaovo (pictured at top of page), on Saint-Laurent, who designed of the world’s most handsome water purifier (no wonder it won awards); the workspace of stuffed toys Raplapla, where designers Anne Chalifoux, Dominique Dansereau and Erica Perrot will give family-friendly workshops on how their funky characters are made; and Espace Verre, a glass-blowing studio and gallery in Old Montreal where not only will you able to snag unique pieces, you’ll see professional glass artisans create on the spot.The Virée des ateliers, in the city’s east end, is an event spread over three massive art buildings, each of which houses dozens of creative minds – think of the whole area as an enormous think-tank. Among the 100-plus studios you can visit – including so many by visual artists that you’ll get your fill of eye candy – are those of Atelier Cocotte, makers of beautiful woven wooden lamps; Velvet Moustache, which design hilarious cushions in the shape of animals; fashion accessory and textile designers Infuse, who make the most evanescent batik scarves; and women’s wear designers Grob, where you can pick up that perfect lacey blouse for all those upcoming summer picnics.

THE DETAILS

Design Montréal Open House, May 4-5, 2013

Virée des ateliers, May 9-12, 2013

The post Montreal Designers Open Their Doors This Spring appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

After gaining international attention, Les Boules Roses are returning to Montreal’s Gay Village for the 2013 edition of Aires Libres…

Somebody somewhere is polishing up 170,000 balls this week in preparation for their starring role dangling above our heads for the third time during the pedestrian-only festival Aires Libres 2013 in the Gay Village. They’ll be gracing us with their presence from May 16 to September 3, 2013, so get your party tanks ready!

Designed by renowned landscape architect Claude Cormier, the pink balls stretch down 1 km of Saint-Catherine from Berri-UQAM metro to Papineau. The balls come in three different girths, and five varying shades of pink that create a dreamy ambiance as you stroll outside day or night.

Les Boules Roses gay marries business with art. It brings people together to enjoy the burgeoning restaurant and club scene, all while experiencing a large-scale art installation. Its impact has earned cool awards like the National Honor from the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects, and Phénicia award for International Influence from the Gay Chamber of Commerce of Québec.

The pink balls make the Gay Village one of the most unique and fun open air spaces in Montreal during the summer months. LGBT and straight people from around the world enjoy the pink while chilling on the plethora of terraces consuming gallons (and gallons) of sangria. Gay locals know that when the balls go up, summer has officially arrived. It ushers in another season of iconic LGBT festivals like Divers/Cité (July 30-August 4, 2013) and Fierté Montréal Pride (August 12-18, 2013).

Keep tabs on everything happening in Montreal’s LGBT scene this summer by following Queer MTL on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We have many exciting events happening in and around the Gay Village all summer so stay tuned!

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THE DETAILS

 Les Boules Roses, May 16 to September 3, 2013

The post The ”Boules Roses” Are Returning to Montreal’s Gay Village appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Le Filet: Le Filet is on the pricier end of this list but it is also one of the best dining experiences Montreal has to offer with its edgy decor and refined, delicate food. Try the fluke with Japanese plum, wasabi and cucumber, a most delicate dish that you will not soon forget! Le Filet, 219 Mont-Royal Avenue West, (514) 360-6060

Park: Park is where you want to be if you are craving some of the best sushi in the city. The fish is as fresh as can be and chef Antonio Park’s knowledge, mastery and passion is a joy to watch. Take a seat at the bar and enjoy the show! Park, 378 Victoria Avenue, (514) 750-7534

Globe: Restaurant Globe’s raw bar has become legendary. Oysters, shrimp, lobster, crab and every seafood in season is piled high on a bed of crushed ice along the front end of the bar. This is definitely the place to be for the freshest catch of the day. And if you’re an oyster fan, then their Golden Thursdays and the 1$ East Coast oysters will become your favourite day of the week. Globe 3455 Saint-Laurent Boulevard, (514) 284-3823

 Le Garde-Manger: Le Garde-Manger is celebrity chef and Food Network star Chuck Hughes’ first restaurant.  Located in the heart of Old Montreal, it is THE place to see and be seen and the perfect spot for seafood lovers. If you’re a seafood lover, start with the famous bloody Caesar with fresh seafood, then move to the oversized seafood platter and end your dinner with the decadent lobster poutine. Garde Manger 408 Saint-François-Xavier 514-678-5044

Comptoir 21: If you fancy a comforting plate of good old fish and chips, Comptoir 21 is where you’ll find some of the best in town. The crispy batter, the juicy fish and the delicious golden fries will seduce every discernable palate. Comptoir 21, 21 St Viateur West, 514 507 3474 and  1117 Sainte-Catherine East, (514) 750-3473

The post Top 5 fish and seafood restaurants in Montreal appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

(spring spectacular) Spring is in full bloom at the Japanese Pavilion at the Montréal Botanical Gardens, where the Ikebana, or the language of flowers, exhibition is on this weekend – a display of traditional Japanese floral art, each accompanied by a haiku – free admission and demonstrations at 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. at the Botanical Gardens, April 20-21, located at Space for Life, also home to Montreal’s brand new Planetarium. On the opposite end of the nature and beauty spectrum and yet in the same vicinity as the Botanical Gardens is this Saturday’s Monster Spectacular, a celebration of decibel-defying engines, big tires, fossil fuel and car-crushing, at Olympic Stadium, April 20.

(fine food) As in any large metropolis, Montreal’s restaurants boast cuisine from around the world alongside locally created specialities that tell a tale of their own about the city (and, believe it, volumes could be written about poutine) – but no one can deny the overwhelming French influence on Montreal, especially when it comes to French restaurants, currently serving some of the most creative dishes around. On the other hand, for truly Quebecois food-and-culture experience, catch the very end of sugaring off season this week at a traditional sugar shack on the outskirts of the city or with a visit to a sugar shack right in the city’s Old Port at La Cabane.

(family theatre) Don’t miss Head à Tête, a highly entertaining and endearing bilingual show about friendship by Montreal’s family theatre experts Geordie Productions, on all weekend at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at Centaur Theatre. Also unmissable, especially for fans of young wizards and comedic parodies, big-in-Britain, two-man show Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience packs in all seven Harry Potter books in 70 hilarious minutes, at Theatre Corona, April 25-28.

(music & dance) Hear all the hits and see music history unfold in the elaborately staged Daytripper: The Beatles Experience, at Theatre Ste-Denis on April 20 – Beatles fans should also be sure to check out the extensive Beatles in Montreal exhibition at the Pointe-à-Callière museum. Persian music and contemporary dance merge in Sinha Danse Company’s new production Sunya, for four dancers and three musicians, part of the Danse Danse spring season, to April 27 at Cinquième Salle. Daring Montreal choreographer Sasha Kleinplatz explores the vulnerability, strength and spirituality of the male body in Chorus II, to April 21 at the MAI, with free admission to Sunday matinee for under-16s.

(visual delight) Montreal’s newest state-of-the-art multi-media hub, the PHI Centre has made itself known as generous host to art, film and music events – this week see five great small-scale films chosen by director and musician Stéphane Lafleur, Turkish film Once Upon a Time in Anatoliaon on April 20, and the newest from Michel Gondry, The We and the I, on April 23,  – and on April 25, Vice Downtown Sound teams up with the PHI for a show from Lunice and Tommy Kruise – rsvp for free entry. More visual and audio abundance is in store at the SAT, screening P3rception, surround-sound-and-image films on the 360° screen in the Satosphere dome, to April 29. And on April 25, the spirit of Super 8mm is still alive and well in 30×30: Films for 30 Years of Lift, featuring films by Canadian film veterans and emerging talents, at Casa Del Popolo.

(live music) Start the weekend just right on Friday night with legendary Chicago blues man Buddy Guy at Metropolis. On Saturday, April 20, Colombian musician and multiple Latin Grammy award winner Fonseca wows fans at Metropolis, come sail away as Dennis DeYoung and his band play The Music of Styx, at Place des Arts, while Akron/Family weird-folk-rocks it up with Absolutely Free at Il Motore, April 20. Liverpool’s much-loved post-punk synthy rock outfit Clinic and NYC’s The Babies play Il Motore on April 22. Hugely popular British rock band Muse builds harmonic walls of sound for two nights at the Bell Centre, April 23-24, while none other than Killing Joke returns with industrial-rock heaviness intact, on April 23 at Café Campus. LA good-times beach-punk rock band Bleached comes to Il Motore on April 24 and New Orleans-born, Bermuda-raised pop-reggae artist Collie Buddz makes it to Montreal this Thursday, April 25 at Metropolis.

The post Things to Do in Montreal: April 19-25 appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

The two brains behind Montreal fashion brand UNTTLD, José Manuel St-Jacques and Simon Bélanger, met when they were in fashion school – St-Jacques at Marie Victorin and Bélanger at Collège Lasalle. They clicked instantly, but then world travels and different paths separated them for a couple of years – until the fateful day Simon came back from studying in Milan. “I went to get him at the airport, and that was that, “ laughs St-Jacques in their messy Mile End studio.

Their fate as a fashion brand was sealed with the help of television: in 2010, they were the big winners of Quebec’s answer to Project Runway, La collection. “We won $100,000 – that’s how we managed to launch our own line,” says St-Jacques. “I mean, we don’t have any business background, so in a year that $100,000 was gone – but we learned a lot from that experience and had we not had that start, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”

The spirit of Montreal infuses their creativity and the unique quality of their beautiful designs. There is a love of texture and sophisticated statement wear in their brand that doesn’t equate to outlandish prices and hard-to-wear materials. Says St-Jacques, “When we design first of all we think of a woman that’s very contemporary, that likes beautiful things but needs things to be practical. There’s a public part to her life that requires her to look sharp, but she need to run around, do errands, and then dash to a 5 à 7.”

And are there plans to design for men too one day? “Ultimately I’d like to design for men as well, and in other media – collaborate with furniture designers, collaborate with other more commercial fashion labels, like Le Château. I just like to make beautiful things for life. And for that the people in Montreal are so inspiring. You don’t need a lot of money to make things happen here, and that’s such a wealth. It keeps everyone so creative.”

THE DETAILS
Find UNTTLD at Simons (977 Sainte-Catherine West, 514-282-1840) and Quai 417 (417 Saint-Pierre, 514-419-3848)

Photos by Richmond Lam

The post Montreal Designer Duo UNTTLD Shine Off Screen appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

One of the world’s best and most anticipated electronic music festivals, Mutek challenges and surprises festival goers while consistently entertaining with musicians, producers and multimedia artists from around the world, specializing in both big and upcoming names in edgier electronic music.

At Mutek this year, the A/Visions evening shows and Nocturnes late-night events herald close to a hundred artists. Multifaceted producer Matthew Herbert comes back to Montreal after an eight year absence to perform three projects – One Pig, a musical improv set centred on a war photojournalist’s audio, and a DJ set as Wishmountain – throughout the festival, the UK’s undefinable and deeply cool Jamie Lidell returns, as does Catalan house beatmaker John Talabot, Detroit techno minimalist Robert Hood, Germany pianist Nils Frahm, Japanese audiovisual artist Ryoichi Kurokawa, and Montrealer Ghislain Poirier unveils his new synthy, cinematic, minimalist project, Boundary. There’s even a special performance by Pantha du Prince and The Bell Laboratory at the Maison Symphonique de Montréal, the city’s recently built and acoustically impressive symphony hall in the heart of downtown at Place des Arts.

Those in the know never underestimate the greatness of Mutek’s opening event: this year, that night  celebrates the 20th anniversary of German label Kompakt, with performances from American producer Michael Mayer, Saschienne and Swedish producer Alex Willner, a.k.a. The Field. The festival program rambles on in the best way possible with the return of British producer John Hopkins, German trio Brandt Brauer Frick, Raster-Noton duo Emptyset’s minimal noise and beats, and after years away, the jazz-infused sound of Frivolous. Also hear Mutek first-timers like young American techno experimenter Laurel Halo, prolific American producer John Tejada, and deep house makers Berlin-based Efdemin and John Roberts.

The Redbull Music Academy puts on a series of shows at high-tech, long-time Mutek venue the Society for Art and Technology, with the likes of Andy Stott, Martyn and Onra, Montreal fave Deadbeat, Space Dimension Controller, L.A.’s Nosaj Thing, and new Ninja Tune players Emika and Letherette. And on the last night of the festival, get right into Borderland, a new dub-meets-loops project from Juan Atkins and Moritz von Oswald, and a long, analogue-rich set by Juju & Jordash. Unbelievably, there are even more artists on the roster, and more still to be announced, meaning that, as always, Mutek’s a guaranteed good time.

THE DETAILS

Mutek, May 29-June 2, 2013

The post Electronic evolution at Mutek 2013 appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

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Montréal is a wonderful city to explore on foot, and one of my favorite places to start is the Quartier des Spectacles. Home to more than 80 cultural venues, including spaces for theater, film, live bands, and more, the Quarter is a great place to get a big-picture view of what’s happening in the city. Inside the landmark Le 2-22 building, I check out the animated art installation by Moment Factory at La Vitrine Culturelle. Ribbons of text and light stream in from different directions, mimicking the swirl of the city’s cultural offerings, while an interactive touch screen and kiosk serves as a ticket center and plugged-in information exchange for culture hounds like me…

Though the height of the festival season is in the spring and summer, the city calendar is packed with events all year long. Montréal en Lumière, one of the largest winter festivals in the world, puts art, food, and dazzling evening light shows center stage. The main event  is Nuit Blanche, when the city (and the metro) runs at full speed all night. Nearly 200 activities, most of them free, showcase every branch of creative endeavor. Art Souterrain, a public art exhibition, is one of the highlights; it’s held in the underground pedestrian mall linking more than a dozen downtown landmarks, from the Place des Arts to the Palais des Congrès. Live performance pieces bring an urban immediacy and excitement to the art installations, with the city hurrying about its business all around us. What an amazing night!

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This year, over the weekend of August 2-4, Osheaga turns beautiful Parc Jean-Drapeau, a quick metro ride away from downtown Montreal, into one big three-day party, headlined by Grammy winners Mumford & Sons, French pop-rock band Phoenix, stylish indie-rockers Vampire Weekend, and, in keeping with Osheaga’s penchant for bringing genuine legends of the 80s and 90s back to the music fest stage, none other than The Cure and New Order. Whoa.
The Osheaga site sprawls across the park, with two giant main stages at its open-air heart and smaller stages – usually set to a theme, from folk-rock to electronic dance music; yes, there’s something for everyone – surrounded by trees and views of the St-Laurent river and the city. Among the big names hitting the main stages are folk-revivalist act The Lumineers, British electro-pop makers Hot Chip, Canadian danceparty makers Tegan and Sara, and hip-hop’s latest and greatest, Kendrick Lamar, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, plus Big Boi and Azealia Banks.

The latest across-the-pond sounds of pop sweetness and light comes with 2012 Mercury Prize winners Alt-J, pop singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding, Jessie Ware and Ireland’s Two Door Cinema Club, sharing stages with American bands like Beach House, Explosions in the Sky, Jimmy Eat World and The Head and the Heart, along with Canadian faves like Diamond Rings, Misteur Valaire and A Tribe Called Red. Dozens more bands play the festival, with many acts still to be announced – see Osheaga’s site for the most up-to-date info.

August truly does seem far away right now, so in the long lead-up to the Osheaga weekend, the festival presents some big-name, not-to-miss shows in Montreal: on May 24, see Iceland’s Of Monsters and Men, a huge hit at last year’s festival; The XX and Grizzly Bear on June 7; The National and The Barr Brothers on June 13; and The Tragically Hip and Sam Roberts Band on June 22. In the spirit of the fest, all show are happening outdoors during what we all hope will be sunny days at the Esplanade Du Centenaire du Canal Lachine – also a good reason to explore Atwater Market and the neighbourhood of St-Henri, just south of downtown Montreal. Now let’s get summer started early!

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THE DETAILS
Osheaga, August 2-4, 2013

Photos by Susan Moss

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