CITÉ MÉMOIRE MONTREAL

Cité Mémoire, the largest video projection circuit in the world, located in the heart of Montreal

CITÉ MÉMOIRE MONTREAL

Cité Mémoire, the largest video projection circuit in the world, located in the heart of Montreal

Poetic, dreamlike and occasionally playful, more than 25 tableaux come alive with images, words and music.

Projected throughout Old Montreal, Old Port of Montréal and downtown Montréal, the work appears on the very walls that surround us, the ground on which we walk, the trees that frame our present.

For a complete Cité Mémoire experience, download Montréal en Histoires free application and its contents. Soundtrack and historical contexts available in 4 languages.

THE TABLEAUX

The tableaux presented in Cité Mémoire cover a range of milestones in Montréal’s history, well-known (or not so well-known) characters, or sometimes a local slice of life. Narrative or impressionist, touching or amusing, they express our values of coexistence, innovation, tolerance and generosity that are the foundation of our city.

The projections are available Fridays and Saturdays.

Discover the early years of Ville-Marie through the reality of the time as perceived by Jeanne Mance and that of the Iroquois nation (Kanienʼkehá꞉ka), personified by a great warrior.

TIOHTIÀ:KE VILLE-MARIE

Place Ville Marie esplanade

Navigate through the history of Vieux-Pointe-aux-Trembles, beginning more than 13,000 years ago, in a constantly evolving journey where history, poetry and humanity meet.

The Point of the Island

Place du Village de Pointe-aux-Trembles – Rue Notre Dame E, Pointe-aux-Trembles

The Anishinabe – the Algonquins – passed this legend down from generation to generation through oral tradition. This adaptation named “The Myth of the Beaver and the Muskrat” comes from Algonquin artist and storyteller Véronique Thusky.

La Naissance du monde

Place Paul-Émile Borduas dans le Quartier des spectacles

in partnership with

Founded by Marguerite d’Youville, the Sisters of Charity (the Grey Nuns) accept abandoned children and care for young unwed mothers near the small Saint-Pierre River

Foundlings Quay / 1750

170-180, Saint-Paul St W

Set to the rhythm of Oscar Peterson’s piano, Montreal reveals its seamy underbelly in this era notorious for its bordellos, gambling dens and cabarets.

Babylon of the North / 1945

350, Notre-Dame St W

In 1849, a terrible fire ravages the Parliament in Montreal, robbing the city of its national-capital status.

The Burning of the Parliament in Montreal / 1849

Vinci Park’s parking on Place d’Youville

In the late nineteenth century, ambitious construction projects initiated by Montreal’s Anglo community transforms the city into a powerful metropolis.

Builders of the City / 1890

105 Saint-Jacques St

After World War II, almost a thousand orphans who survived Nazi concentration camps are adopted by Montreal families.

The Jewish Children’s Transport Train / 1947 (not available)

241 Notre-Dame St

NOT AVAILABLE

Avant-garde Montrealer Éva Circé-Côté, that incorrigible, progressive, feminist woman of letters, dreams of a just, equal society.

Éva Circé-Côté / 1910

232 de l’Hôpital St

NOT AVAILABLE

Irish tavern keeper Charles McKiernan, a.k.a. Joe Beef, may have died, but his legendary generosity lives on in the memories of Montreal’s rich and poor alike.

Joe Beef’s Funeral / 1889

355 St des Récollets

Filled with love for the province of Quebec, his faith, nature and education, frère Marie-Victorin’s inspiration takes root and blossoms in the heart of the Island of Montreal.

Marie-Victorin’s Garden Book / 1920

150 Notre-Dame St E

The tragic tale of Marie-Josèphe Angélique, a black slave who lived in Montreal, collides in time with the happier fate of baseball legend Jackie Robinson.

From Marie-Josèphe to Jackie Robinson / 1734–1946

408 Saint-François-Xavier St

Incensed, the beavers of New France unite, mobilizing to save their skins… and their pelts!

The Beaver Rebellion / 1680–1750

Place de la Dauversière

The meanderings of winter and melancholy are painted by the music of Claude Léveillée, with words by Émile Nelligan, one of Montreal’s most famous poets.

Soir d‘hiver (A Winter’s Night)

432 St-Nicolas St

After an exhausting day spent moving house, Maurice “Rocket” Richard makes Canadian hockey history.

Moving with the Rocket / 1944

445 Saint-Laurent Blvd

Léo-Ernest Ouimet, head electrician and amateur filmmaker, launches the “movie palace” craze by opening up the “Ouimetoscope”, the very first luxury cinema in North America.

The Ouimetoscope / 1907

350 Notre-Dame St W

Shortly after World War II, Montreal becomes the cultural bastion of the social revolution shaking up the province of Quebec, where rebellious spirits are taking a stand against all forms of domination: imperial, clerical, chauvinist, capitalist…

The Rebels’ Wall / 1948–1979

150 Notre-Dame St E

Montreal today. The soul of the city emerges through a panoply of faces and poetic voices.

The Face of Montreal

Jacques-Cartier Quay (Montreal’s Old Port)

Lulled by the sound of the river’s currents, a man and a woman meet at the crossroads of two different realities. This love story is set to the iconic song by Leonard Cohen, one of Montreal’s most acclaimed songwriters.

Suzanne / 1966

Clock Tower Quay (Montreal’s Old Port)

NOT AVAILABLE

Governor Callière remembers his friend, the great Huron chief Kondiaronk, and the success of the peace conference between the indigenous peoples and the North American French population in the summer of 1701.

The Great Peace of Montréal / 1701

173, Place d’Youville

Cité Mémoire’s Grand Tableau provides an overview of more than 375 years of Montréal’s history, using music and images projected onto the imposing walls of the Montréal Courthouse.

Cité Mémoire’s Grand Tableau

Champ-de-Mars

NOT AVAILABLE

A former hostess remembers the 1967 World’s Fair and reminds us that Montréal brought together the most innovative know-how in the world for the occasion.

The Hostess at Expo 67 / 1967

460, McGill Street

NOT AVAILABLE

Great periods in Montréal’s history and some symbolic places and compelling people who used to live in Montréal

The Agora Cité Mémoire

Agora at Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth hotel

900, René-Lévesque boulevard West

For the schedule, contact the hotel
514 861-3511

Illustrating John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s stay at the Queen Elizabeth hotel in 1969

The Bed-In

Agora at Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth hotel

900, René-Lévesque boulevard West

For the schedule, contact the hotel
514 861-3511

Symbolizes the time elapsed throughout Montréal’s history

The interactive river

Underground walkway at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth hotel which leads to Place Ville-Marie.

900, boul. René-Lévesque Ouest

For the schedule, contact the hotel
514 861-3511

A pioneering couple of entrepreneurs, Alphonse and Dorimène Desjardins work hand in hand to found and ensure the success of the first savings and credit cooperative in America.

Dorimène and Alphonse

Complexe Desjarfins

150, Sainte-Catherine Street West

NOT AVAILABLE

APPLICATION

Download the Montréal en Histoires free application

The Montréal en Histoires free app is the best way to learn about Montreal’s history, with virtual and augmented realities, as well as points of interest. It allows you to enjoy the Cité Mémoire experience.

Get the best EXPERIENCE

  • DOWNLOAD OR UPDATE THE FREE MONTRÉAL EN HISTOIRES APP

               

  • CHOOSE AND DOWNLOAD YOUR CIRCUIT

  • BRING ALONG SOME EARPHONES

  • GO TO THE SUGGESTED DEPARTURE POINT IN THE CHOSEN SECTOR

  • CONNECT TO THE FREE MTL WIFI NETWORK

  • DOWNLOAD OR UPDATE THE FREE MONTRÉAL EN HISTOIRES APP

                 

  • CHOOSE AND DOWNLOAD YOUR CIRCUIT

  • BRING ALONG SOME EARPHONES

  • GO TO THE SUGGESTED DEPARTURE POINT IN THE CHOSEN SECTOR

  • CONNECT TO THE FREE MTL WIFI NETWORK

LEARN MORE ABOUT MONTRÉAL EN HISTOIRES’ APP WITH THE TUTORIAL

THE ARTISTS

MICHEL LEMIEUX

O.C., C.Q., C.A.L.Q.

The originality and scope of Michel Lemieux’s extraordinary creations have been astounding audiences since 1979, when he graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada’s production program. As far back as 1982, Lemieux’s onstage creations were already fusions of music, images, performance and projections. In addition to making an indelible mark on the national scene, L’Oeil rechargeable and Solid Salad were among the first Quebec productions to tour extensively around the world. Ever since, this multidisciplinary artist has defied classification. A creator, set designer, director, composer, performer and videographer, Lemieux continues to be at the forefront of the performing arts.

Lemieux’s meeting with Victor Pilon in 1990 marked a turning point in an already well-established career. With their production company Lemieux Pilon 4D Art, they devise singular shows in which new technologies intensify the audience’s sensory and emotional experience. The duo masterfully integrates theatre, film, dance, poetry, visual arts, music and sound to create unique theatrical worlds. Their close collaboration has yielded Dreamscapes, the installation presented at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts to mark the company’s 30th anniversary, Icare, La Belle et la Bête, Shakespeare’s The Tempest and NORMAN, a tribute to Canadian filmmaker Norman McLaren. Their partnership with the Montreal and Quebec opera companies resulted in the opera Starmania. TORUKThe First Flight was their fourth collaboration with Cirque du Soleil, after Delirium, Midnight Sun—which jointly commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Cirque du Soleil and the 25th anniversary of the Montreal International Jazz Festival—as well as a number for the show Michael Jackson ONE. They created Continuum, a production based on Philip Glass’s music catalogue, the first multimedia show presented at the Rio Tinto planetarium in Montreal. The duo also collaborates regularly on exhibitions and special events. With over 30 works to their credit, Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon have garnered acclaim in Canada, the United States, Europe, Latin America, Australia and Asia.

Created in collaboration with Michel Marc Bouchard, Cité Mémoire, an urban multimedia experience, is their latest production.

VICTOR PILON

O.C., C.Q., C.A.L.Q.

Victor Pilon belongs to the first generation of artists described as multidisciplinary creators. A director, set designer, visual designer and photographer, he works on stage productions as well as large-scale public events. In the early 1980s, after two years in Europe, Pilon received a Bachelor’s degree in visual arts with a specialization in photography. As the Canadian government’s official photographer, Pilon has covered more than 30 visits by the British Royal Family. He has also photographed various other heads of state during their official visits to Quebec and Canada. Pilon’s work as a visual artist has been exhibited in galleries across Canada. His pieces are housed in the Canada Council Art Bank and Library and Archives Canada collection. A book on his artwork was published in 1988.

In the early 1990s, after moving to Montreal, Victor Pilon met the artist who would become his greatest collaborator: Michel Lemieux. With their production company Lemieux Pilon 4D Art, they devise singular shows in which new technologies intensify the audience’s sensory and emotional experience. The duo masterfully integrates theatre, film, dance, poetry, visual arts, music and sound to create unique theatrical worlds. Their close collaboration has yielded Territoires oniriques, the installation presented at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts to mark the company’s 30th anniversary, Icare, La Belle et la Bête, Shakespeare’s The Tempest and NORMAN, a tribute to Canadian filmmaker Norman McLaren. Their partnership with the Montreal and Quebec opera companies resulted in the opera Starmania. TORUKThe First Flight was their fourth collaboration with Cirque du Soleil, after DELIRIUM, Midnight Sun–which jointly commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Cirque du Soleil and the 25th anniversary of the Montreal International Jazz Festival–as well as a number for the show Michael Jackson ONE. They created Continuum, a production based on Philip Glass’s music catalogue, the first multimedia show presented at the Rio Tinto planetarium in Montreal. The duo also collaborates regularly on exhibitions and special events. With over 30 works to their credit, Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon have garnered acclaim in Canada, the United States, Europe, Latin America, Australia and Asia.

Created in collaboration with Michel Marc Bouchard, Cité Mémoire, an urban multimedia experience, is their latest production.

MICHEL MARC BOUCHARD

O.C., C.Q.

Michel Marc Bouchard has written more than 25 plays, which have been translated and performed all over the world. Lilies, The Orphan Muses, The Tale of Teeka, The Coronation Voyage, Down Dangerous Passes Road and, more recently, Tom at the Farm, Christine, The Girl King and The Divine; a play for Sarah Bernhardt are his most well-known works. Michel Marc Bouchard has received many awards, including the National Arts Centre Award, the Chalmer’s Award, the Dora Mavor Moore Award, the Betty Mitchel Award, theatrical critics’ association awards in Quebec and Mexico, as well as the Primo Arte Candoni in Italy, the SACD Award in Paris, the American Lambda Award, the Gascon-Thomas and the Prix Laurent-McCautcheon. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a Knight of the National Order of Quebec and a member of the Académie des lettres du Québec. The film (Les Feluettes, The Orphan Muses and Heat Wave) and television adaptations (The Tale of Teeka) of his plays have earned him many awards including the 1996 Génie Award for Best Film and the Gémeaux for Best Dramatic Program in 1998. The film adaptation of Tom at the Farm directed by Xavier Dolan earned numerous awards including the International Critics Award at the 2013 Mostra in Venice. The year 2016 saw the release of La Reine-garçon by Mika Kaurismaki, the Finnish director for whom Bouchard wrote the screenplay, as well as the lyrical adaptation of his play Les Feluettes by the Opéra de Montréal. Bouchard was also behind the following major historic and thematic exhibits: Ludovica, Histoires de Québec (1998) for the Musée de l’Amérique française in Québec City, presented again in 2001 at the Museum of Aquitaine in Bordeaux, France; Talons et tentations (2001), for the Musée de la Civilisation in Québec City ; Maria Chapdelaine, Vérités et mensonges (2002), at the Musée Louis Hémon, Péribonka, Québec ; and the inaugural exhibition of the Grande Bibliothèque du Québec à Montréal Tous ces livres sont à toi ! (2005), presented again at the Musée de la Civilisation (2007).

Created with Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon, Cité Mémoire, an urban multimedia experience, is the latest production to which he has contributed as a writer and dramaturg.