This winter, Montrealers and visitors can discover giant illuminated wheels in an installation called “Loop.” The installation, on display until January 29, is the latest entry in Luminothérapie—Quebec’s largest competition for temporary public art installations. Each year, Luminothérapie presents an original, interactive winter experience in Montreal’s Quartier des spectacles, with a major installation in the Place des Festivals.
Loop consists of 13 giant zoetropes–an optical toy that was a forerunner of animated film. When a zoetrope is activated, images are shown in rapid succession, creating the illusion of motion. This illuminated musical installation, featuring a distinctive retro-futuristic look, uses cylinders two meters in diameter. Members of the public are invited to sit down inside and activate the mechanism, causing images inspired by 13 fairy tales to come to life. The animation is visible from inside or outside the cylinder and can be viewed from up close or far away. The speed at which the images move, the frequency of the flickering and the tempo of the music are determined by how fast the participants move a lever.