TOPO is delighted to support the project. VerdunReality by Natalie Doonan, to be discovered under the July sun. This 90-minute multimedia performance was designed specifically to take place along the banks of the St. Lawrence River in the Verdun borough of Montreal.
VerdunReality is a guided tour along the banks of the St. Lawrence River in the borough of Verdun, southwest of Montreal, with four stops along the way. This multimedia show, which can be presented in French and English, is designed for groups of six to eight participants at a time. Each participant is paired with a guide who attends to their individual needs throughout the tour. During the 90-minute tour, participants drink goldenrod tea, immersing themselves in the taste of the place in a friendly park conducive to discussion. At two other locations, they are invited to play games on VR headsets, where they find themselves inside simulations of the real places they are in. The games are designed to raise participants' awareness of the local flora and fauna. For example, in the first game, players take on the role of a monarch butterfly and their goal is to identify as many milkweed plants as possible in the environment, as this plant is essential to the survival of monarch butterflies and their caterpillars. After removing the headsets, the game continues in real life with other participants.
This is a site-specific work that responds to the unique characteristics of the Verdun waterfront. At the request of committed citizens in the borough, the municipality agreed to create dozens of “renaturalized” spaces in the waterfront park. In these areas, the borough simply stopped mowing the lawn, allowing various plants to (re)emerge. Some residents consider these areas unsightly and unkempt, interpreting the plants as “weeds” that interfere with an otherwise well-maintained lawn. VerdunRealité is attempting to reframe this perception by allowing participants to see that, from a pollinator's perspective, a mowed lawn is a food desert.
TOPO – Digital Creation Center is supporting Natalie Doonan in promoting this project, which aligns with some of our goals as an artist-run center: encouraging citizen participation through digital tools and reflecting on environmental issues.
Practical information
Walks
Thursday, July 20 at 4 p.m.
Friday, July 21 at 1 p.m. or 4 p.m.
Saturday, July 22 at 1 p.m. or 4 p.m.
Sunday, July 23 at 1 p.m. or 4 p.m.
Price: 10$
(reduced rate of $5 for minors accompanied by an adult)
MEETING PLACE
We meet in the park, at the edge of the Lachine Rapids, at the following GPS coordinates: 45°26’08.1 « N 73°35’01.8 « W / 45.435583, -73.583833
The group will be under a tree, on a picnic blanket, at the end of Fayolle Street.
SPECIAL NEEDS
Please contact us if you have reduced mobility or special needs. We will be happy to modify the itinerary accordingly, but we must be notified in advance.
AGE
Ages 10 and up.
Minors must be accompanied by an adult and are eligible for a reduced rate of $5.
Credits
Script, all recordings, project, and concept: Natalie Doonan.
Trailer: Kevin Nicolas
Photos : Ambre Marionneau
CREDITS – VR GAMES
- Mélanie Binette, French narration, Translation
- Joëlle Bond, Translation
- Clara Daeninck, Video editing
- Natalie DoonanEnglish narration, Interviews, Sound editing, Translation, Video editing, FX
- Florian Grond, Sound engineering consulting
- Jonathan Hardy, Unity Design
- Rasoul Morteza, Original music, Sound design
- Sophie Valiergue, Translation
- Gaëlle Issa, 3D Animation
- Clémentine Brochet, Interactive Elements
CREDITS - PERFORMANCE
- Erik De LeonProject title
- Interpreters (Guides): Dylan Le Pors, Ambre Marionneau, Christopher Ravenelle, Sophie Valiergue
- Set design: Sophie Valiergue
