The top 5 things to do in Montreal: May 14 to May 28
Twin Drive is a project by Francesca Banchelli and Emiliano Zeladawill and will be part of the MUTEK festival which runs from May 23 to 31. | Image courtesy of the artists
1. THE ELECTRONIC EPICENTRE
MUTEK | Quartier des spectacles | May 26 to 31
If you’re into electronic music or just love a live alfresco performance, then this is the festival for you. From May 26 to 31, a free stage in the Quartier des spectacles will allow for international musical creative-muscle flexing and mad outdoor dancing.
If the horn-rimmed glasses scene is more your cup of tea, check out the Digi_Section Conference Series at the Phi Centre. There, you’ll be able to engage in critical discourse, interact with the latest technology and participate in workshops dedicated to visual software and practices.
Find out more about MUTEK. Check out all of the free activities slated for this year! Or watch a MUTEK video teaser.
See that lab coat? It was made by miraculous little creatures! | Photo by Elena Raznovan
2. CATERPILLAR ART
En Masse | FOFA Gallery | Till May 29
It sounds like a joke: so, a caterpillar walks into a gallery…
But in En Masse, these miraculous little creatures are doing double duty. They are participating in a Concordia research study which looks into their foraging behavior, while also starring in an art exhibition at the FOFA Gallery.
Their movements are being documented on paper, using carbon trails, and the silk they produce is being made into other works of art, like the handy dandy lab coats hanging in the York Vitrines.
You’ll also find a time-lapse video of a typical caterpillar lifespan, including the great moment of transformation.
Find out more about the FOFA Gallery’s En Masse exhibition.
Take an audio tour of one of Montreal’s oldest neighbourhoods on May 23. You can even download the guide to your mobile device first. | Photo courtesy of the Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling
3. SECRETS OF THE POINT
The Other Side of the Tracks | Bibliothèque Saint-Charles | May 23, from 2 to 4 p.m.
The south-west district of Pointe-Saint-Charles, aka The Point, is one of Montreal’s oldest neighbourhoods. It’s also, incidentally, not all that far away from both Concordia campuses, and easily accessible by metro and bus.
This Concordia-student-created in-depth audio tour explores the neighbourhood’s current transition as well as its vibrant history. Download the guide to your mobile device on May 22 to take the tour on May 23.
Register for “The Other Side of the Tracks” Pointe-Saint-Charles audiotour and download the audioguide.
4. WE’RE OFF TO THE MUSEUM
Montreal Museums' Day | 34 museums | May 24, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Keen to see 34 of Montreal’s finest museums for free?
On May 24, hot spots like the Biodôme, the Museum of Fine Arts and the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal throw open their doors to entice the masses (approximately 100,00 people per year) into exploring their collections.
The best part? There are five gratis tours, plus shuttles to get you where you want to go.
Find out more about Montreal Museums’ Day and download the flyer.
Check out the Montreal Museums’ Day trailer.
5. TOTALLY RANDOM AND POTENTIALLY AWESOME
Plyball | Place Émilie-Gamelin | Till May 31, at 5 p.m.
Let us introduce you to Plyball. It’s a new sport, and you can play it every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday in May at Place Émilie-Gamelin, as part of the OFFTA live art festival.
Your first challenge? Figuring out what to do. This highly intellectual video has us stumped, but intrigued.
Find out more about Plyball. Check out the OFFTA website for a full festival schedule.
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