This summer, an oasis of freshness awaits you at the Palais des congrès de Montréal.
Five months into business and already visited by almost 45,000 visitors, OASIS immersion, Montréal’s new permanent immersive attraction, announces new exclusive content for the summer season.
In keeping with its promise of delivering an immersive magazine-style experience with a good-natured outlook on the issues shaping our world, nearly half the segments of the current show, Inspirations, have either been enhanced or added to reflect current events and keep with the times.
Also, several new Québec artists and creatives have been added to the roster of contributors.
Original content, 100% made in Québec
According to OASIS immersion founders Nicolas Lassonde and Denys Lavigne, who is also co-creative director, the public response has been so favourable, it deserved a refresh. “We launched our inaugural exhibition, Inspirations, this past winter, during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Even so, the response was outstanding, and the timing truly lent itself to initiate our vision of a dynamic exhibition, continuously in lockstep with the times, speaking to the issues of the day for visitors. This evolution is also part of our goal of making OASIS immersion an ongoing hub of creative output and innovation. One example is our partnership with the TV5 network for L’odyssée Pacifique, which introduces visitors to a multiplatform experiences (documentary, print, immersion) that make it possible to fully discover the depth and impact of a story,” says Denys Lavigne.
“One of things we’re very proud of, is that all of the exhibition’s segments are original productions and the brainchildren of local artists. And for the summer edition, numerous new talented contributors have joined our creative ecosystem, such as Guillaume Beaudoin, Studio Baillat, Vallée Duhamel, Dominique Fils-Aimé and Jean-Phi Goncalves, not to mention pianist Alexandra Stréliski, Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques, young producer and YouTuber Émile Roy, and many others who’ve been with the project from the outset,” mentions Nicolas Lassonde.
The sea and space as sources of inspiration
Among the new OASIS immersion features this summer is an immersive experience inspired by the magnificent documentary L’odyssée Pacifique and the book Empreintes, from filmmaker and photographer Guillaume Beaudoin. The product of a unique collaboration with the TV5 network and Jean-François Ethier of the B-612 production company, this experience also stars singer-songwriter Dominique Fils-Aimé and music composer Manuel Chantre. From the Marquesas Islands to Fiji, via Bora-Bora and even Tahiti, the images captured by the filmmaker will transport you to majestic places, and also bring you to reflect on the importance of preserving our oceans as precious sources of life and inspiration. The lifesize sharks and ocean floors parading before the visitors’ eyes render the experience that much more realistic and immersive. “We were very enthusiastic at TV5 to partner with OASIS immersion and push the boundaries of L’odyssée Pacifique, a unique documentary available on our various platforms that offers a compassionate and inspiring look at the issue of the environment,” explains Cynthia Rhéaume, Communications Manager at TV5.
After water, space. “We are dream dust” is among the many compelling observations by Canadian Space Agency astronaut David Saint-Jacques, as he takes visitors through the highlights of his space mission. Derived from his experiences, it is a journey through the cosmos and what spurred him to embrace space travel.
Fresh ideas and societal shifts
Other additions: rising-star producer and YouTuber Émile Roy is back with a fresh new take on hope and resilience. The award-winning studio Vallée Duhamel has also joined the adventure with a gripping hygge-inspired experience beautifully scored by music composer Jean-Phi Goncalves.
Québec knowhow front and centre
The piano virtuoso Alexandra Stréliski continues to star in three immersive tableaux inspired by her music and her musical journey, supported by selections from her sublime album Inscape. Numerous other well-known artists are also contributing to Inspirations – voice actors, musicians, writers, directors, etc. They include actress Sylvie Moreau, director Dominic Champagne, music group Choses Sauvages, comedian Léa Stréliski and director Stefan Verna, to name a few.
In short, OASIS immersion is
- A pulsating, moving adventure intermingling sounds, lights and a stimulating atmosphere – a bona fide tonic;
- A contactless 75-minute walkthrough experience;
- 105 laser projectors;
- 119 surround sound speakers;
- An exhibition spanning over 2,000 sqm;
- Three immersive rooms with wall-to-wall 360-degree projections;
- A coffee lounge with fresh local products, wines and beers;
- A souvenir shop;
- A podcast series hosted by Gregory Charles on inspiring Québecers;
- A permanent immersive attraction.
Inspirations runs until the end of summer, to be followed by a new immersive show.
A seasoned team
In addition to the appointment of Johnny Ranger (formerly of Cirque du Soleil, Moment Factory) as co-creative director, and Julie Castonguay (formerly of Cirque du Soleil) as producer of immersive content and experiences, the OASIS immersion team also includes technical director Rémus Blais, as well as Darius Rabby, Jean-Pascal Dumoulin-Comeau and the Écorécréo Group. The show Inspirations has also been able to count on the contribution of many local collaborators, such as Dpt., Eltoro Studio, Halo Création, Uberko, Jesse Freeston, David-Étienne Durivage, Yoktown’s, Yanneek, Mark O Fearghail, Nils Fluck, Anita Bombita, Dominic Saint-Amant, Marelle Communications, Minimal, Coyote Audio, Thaila Kampo, Numérart, AGO Communications and Groupe d’édition la courte échelle.
Indispensable partners
The OASIS immersion project was made possible thanks to the support of strategic partners such as the Ministère du Tourisme du Québec, Investissement Québec, Tourisme Montréal and the Palais des congrès de Montreal. Also included among the collaborators of the inaugural show, Inspirations, is the Canadian Space Agency. And OASIS immersion is pleased to welcome Desjardins as innovation partner for the summer edition of Inspirations.
Health and safety measures, and planning your experience
For the safety of visitors and staff, OASIS immersion has put in place health and safety measures that are in accordance with government directives and in line with the Palais Reopening Operating Guide to Running Events with Safety Standards (PROGRESS), which the Palais des congrès de Montréal launched last year.
Visitors must book the day and time of their visit by buying their tickets online at oasis.im.
