Phlips blogger Monique Cousineau shares her observations on Québec City Lights Festival, below is her blog entry:

It’s really impressive to see how creative artists are using technology and lighting to transform environments into captivating surroundings and how cities are emerging from the shadows and standing proudly. A few weeks ago, at the Québec City Lights Festival, (Festival des Lumières de Québec) some playful light shows made quite an impression on the public by lighting up the Old Capital and allowing its Nordic appeal and historic architecture to stand out.

What is magical in these lighting installations is how they highlight the environments we use on a regular basis. These urban squares, pathways and public staircases come to life thanks to ingenious and artistic lighting productions and video mappings that make us want to come out and play.

Here are three installations that enlivened the winter scene with the help of colorful and dynamic lighting.

ENSEMBLE created by BlackOut Design which specializes in the creation of visual environments came up with this contemporary interactive lighting installation. Here the public had to play with shapes and colors while moving about in the chromatic environment of ENSEMBLE. People created shadows with other passer-bys and transformed this visual work of art into an original vibrant visual effect with every new combination projected onto the side-wall of the Fortifications, Québec’s National Historic site. The result produced some ever-changing colorful video displays. It’s as if the Fortification wall was painted with graffiti light art which brought a new dimension and a modern touch to this momentous surface.

DÉRIVE MAGNÉTIQUE  from Graphic eMotion. (LEDinside/Philips)

DÉRIVE MAGNÉTIQUE from Graphic eMotion is a sequence of electromagnetic waves that disseminate freely across 40 crystals which drift smoothly across the fortifications of Québec City. As you circulate in the immersive environment of DÉRIVE MAGNÉTIQUE you act as a vector that provokes electric reactions, of varying degrees, which are propelled directly onto the crystals. You become the artist. The more you interact with others the more colorful and vibrant the installation becomes. It’s totally inventive, futuristic winter landscaping.

THE CRYSTAL STAIRCASE displayed at Québec City Lights Festival. (LEDinside/Philips)

As in years past, THE CRYSTAL STAIRCASE was back. It is so popular in fact that it seems to have become a regular feature of the Québec City Lights Festival.

At Place D’Youville, the staircase across from the Palais Montcalm was transformed into an interactive LED-lit staircase. One could skip and hop along the staircase from top to bottom and interact with colorful effects and luminous reflections on each stair. From afar, it’s interesting how the lights seem to project snow crystals. This amusing experience was created by MATIÈRS – Création | Production from Studio François Couture. 

Place D’Youville, the staircase across from the Palais Montcalm was transformed into an interactive LED-lit staircase. (LEDinside/Philips)

I truly appreciate how these talented teams of graphic designers and lighting engineers are finding new and creative ways of harmonizing a wide variety of visual techniques and multimedia in order to produce immersive multisensory environments. Their creations make our cities and neighborhoods come alive with light and sound. By doing so, their interactive lighting installations capture the hearts and minds of all ages making winter even more fun for everyone.

Installation lumineuse et sonore interactive présentée dans le cadre du Festival des lumières de Québec. Décembre 2013.