If you’re outdoors and looking to stay warm this winter, bundle up and head on over to Yonge-Dundas Square for Island Of Warmth. An enormous “fire” made from more than 150 incandescent light bulbs will be on display starting February 18. And your sounds and movement will help activate it.
Félix Dagenais and Louis-Xavier Gagnon-Lebrun (of Creos and ATOMIC3) have designed this electric campfire with music, with the sound concept by Jean-Sébastien Côté. Sensors within the installation will respond to the people around it. If you dance, jump or wave, you’ll fan the electrifying flames and even appear to send sparks flying up into the air.
“We wanted to recreate the energy of a campfire where people gather around, sing and dance,” says Dagenais, who calls it “a festive, welcoming and unifying fire site.”
Creos have sent their interactive installations to more than 55 cities in 11 different countries since October 2016. Island of Warmth is a co-production of Quartier des spectacles Partnership and Montréal en Lumière.
The exhibit joins Nordic Lights, another free outdoor celebration of lights in the dead of winter. This display of art from Canada and Scandinavia is currently lighting up spaces around Harbourfront Centre until February 21.
Island Of Warmth runs February 18 to March 20 at Yonge-Dundas Square. Info at YDSquare.ca
