2023-07-17 19:46:25
Credit: Ambre Marionneau
Would you like to know more regarding the plant and animal species that inhabit the island of Montreal? Learning by playing? Live an experience that mixes walking and virtual reality?
VerdunReality is the activity for you.
From July 20 to 23, the borough of Verdun, in Montreal, will host this immersive multimedia performance that will guide participants along the banks of the St. Lawrence to encounter the biodiversity of this urban environment.
Lasting regarding 90 minutes, the experience is a walking tour punctuated by games offered in virtual reality and stories shared by humans. It will make it possible to discover areas of the shoreline where nature has regained its rights, while the borough of Verdun, at the request of committed citizens, has stopped mowing the lawn there.
“These restored places are seen by some people as being neglected, as if the City is not doing its job. But they are in fact important places for the protection of pollinating species and plants. A mowed lawn is a real food desert for a bee or a monarch,” explains Natalie Doonan, artist behind VerdunRéalité and professor in the Department of Communication at the Université de Montréal.
Through this performance, she seeks, on the one hand, to (re)discover a public place and, on the other hand, to make citizens aware of the issues of biodiversity and land management.
Its aim is therefore educational, but also fun, thanks to the two virtual games that punctuate the activity. For example, one of them has participants play as a monarch who must find as many milkweed plants as possible. Natalie Doonan recalls that these plants are essential for the survival of this species; both the caterpillar and the adult butterfly feed there and the butterfly lays its eggs there.
“It’s a fun way to practice spotting milkweed, a plant native to Quebec. We use sensory techniques to open up to our environment,” she says.
A rich place to discover
Credit: Ambre Marionneau
Researcher and performance and multimedia artist, Natalie Doonan focuses on developing a sensory methodology that aims to foster dialogue in public places.
For several years, Verdun has been his field of research. It has collaborated with the Maison de l’environnement in Verdun to guide nature walks and encourage discussions on biodiversity in the city.
For the artist, Verdun is an interesting place for several reasons. First, her family is from this neighborhood, then, geographically and historically, she considers it to be a unique territory.
“We can say that Verdun played an important role in the very construction of Canada, particularly because of the Lachine rapids there. These rapids presented a barrier to trade and led to the creation of the Port of Montreal and its geostrategic importance,” reports the professor.
Checklist
What: the VerdunRéalité experience When: July 21, 22 and 23, between 1 and 3 p.m. and 4 and 6 p.m. Where: meeting point on a picnic mat under a tree in the park at the end of rue Fayolle , across from the Lachine Rapids, on LaSalle BoulevardPurchasing tickets online
The artist Natalie Doonan benefits from the support of TOPO, the Center for digital creation, for the dissemination of this project, which meets certain objectives of this artists’ center such as promoting citizen participation using digital tools and reflecting to environmental issues.
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