Who hasn’t dreamed as a child of flying into space and becoming an astronaut? Until November 27, you can live this childhood dream virtually and fly to the International Space Station as part of the exhibition Celestial trajectory.
Culture Trois-Rivières presents the first episode in virtual reality from the series Stellar Travelers, Life in Orbit: Adaptcreated by internationally renowned Montreal designers Félix Lajeunesse and Paul Raphaël, of Felix & Paul Studios, in collaboration with TIME Studios.
The episode Adapt features a new crew of astronauts who arrive aboard the International Space Station and experience the joy, wonder and danger of living in space. The participants are then immersed in the very beginning of mission 58 in which Quebec astronaut David Saint-Jacques participated in 2018.
Years of training come into play as the crew overcomes the disorientation of weightlessness, responds to potentially catastrophic emergencies, and learns to function as a cohesive team. The extreme nature of this unique experience leads the crew to form almost family ties.
Immersion is fascinating. For 29 minutes, the participant rubs shoulders with the crew members aboard the International Space Station. Up and down merge and don’t really matter anymore in weightlessness. And what regarding the view from the Station’s observation dome…! This is an incredible opportunity to be able to observe the Earth and space like never before, a view that only a few privileged astronauts can appreciate, in normal times.
But beyond the technological experience and the immersion thanks to virtual reality, it is a whole human experience that transcends. We come out marked.
A sound and visual environment
For the occasion, the Espace Pauline-Julien, which hosts the experience, finds itself transformed to offer visitors an immersive experience from start to finish. As soon as you enter the cultural place on rue Fusey, the take-off section plays with the perceptions of visitors thanks to a 360-degree mirror that distorts the place. A hovering soundscape also welcomes the visitor as soon as he arrives.
Visitors are then invited to pass through a large, uncluttered tunnel made up of light in order to live the main experience, namely the “weightlessness” section, where a sound and light environment contributes to the sensation of floating and the immersion of the audience.
After having lived the experience, visitors head to a “landing” zone which offers additional educational content and allows a smooth return.
A second exhibition in virtual reality
It is following the enthusiasm aroused by the exhibition Museum VR in 2021 that Culture Trois-Rivières has decided to dive back into virtual reality for a second exhibition. “People loved the experience and we thought it would be interesting to find another virtual reality exhibition that would live up to expectations,” says Nancy Kukovica, General Manager of Culture Trois-Rivières.
When the opportunity to present an episode of the series Stellar travelers, life in orbit happened, the organization jumped at the chance. This is also the first time that the experience has been presented in Quebec outside of Montreal.
“It’s a fine example of our desire to present varied exhibitions for everyone. We made the choice to leave access to this exhibition free so that it would be accessible to as many people as possible,” explains Ms. Kukovica.
Espace Pauline-Julien offers the experience on Saturdays and Sundays until November 27, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. A presentation is made every hour. As there are only eight places to live the experience, it is suggested to reserve your place beforehand by calling 819 693-2627. Due to the weight of the virtual reality headset, the experience is recommended for ages 12 and up.
