ATOMIC3
Montreal, Canada
The gentle rumbling of a doomed glacier
Icebergs are ancient ice formations shaped by time and the elements, and they make unique sounds. As water seeps into its cracks and crevasses, an iceberg resonates like an enormous pipe organ, its tones shifting and transforming as the ice melts. Inspired by these colossal natural musical instruments, the Iceberg installation consists of a series of illuminated metal arches that each make a particular sound. Arranged to form a tunnel, the arches beckon you to enter and listen to – and even play – the giant organ.
The sounds and light travel from one end of the musical corridor to the other. Iceberg’s sound and light ambiance, evoking the pure far north, transform in response to your presence. Human activity warms the gargantuan ice blocks – a palpable sign of climate change – and transforms their original form into a visual and auditory symphony. Give it a try!
Technical features
Technical description: Iceberg is a self-supporting work of art, requiring no anchoring to the ground, and is simply placed on the site. It leaves no marks or traces on the site when it leaves it. Concrete bases cast into an aluminum frame ensure the installation’s stability.
Composition: A series of 14 illuminated metal arches
Installation weight: 3,900 lbs (1,769 kg)
Footprint: 938 ft2 (88 m2)
Creators, light designers and producers
Félix Dagenais and Louis-Xavier Gagnon-Lebrun
Architectural design
APPAREIL architecture
Sound design
Jean-Sébastien Côté
Interactive module design
Philippe Jean
A co-production of
The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership and ATOMIC3
Distribution
QDSinternational
Executive Production, Touring
Jack World
quotes.title
Gallery
Iceberg de ATOMIC3 et APPAREIL Architecture, Ottawa, Canada, 2020 © Blair Gable, Courtesy of Sparks Street
Iceberg de ATOMIC3 et APPAREIL Architecture, Luminothérapie 13e édition, Montréal, Canada, 2022 © JALQ Photography
Iceberg de ATOMIC3 et APPAREIL Architecture, New York, USA, 2019 © Alexandre Ayer
Iceberg de ATOMIC3 et APPAREIL Architecture, Montréal, Canada, 2022 © Ulysse Lemerise, OSA Images
Iceberg de ATOMIC3 et APPAREIL Architecture, New York, USA, 2019 © Alexandre Ayer
Iceberg de ATOMIC3 et APPAREIL Architecture, New York, USA, 2019 © Alexandre Ayer
Iceberg de ATOMIC3 et APPAREIL Architecture, Montréal, Canada, 2017 © Martine Doyon
Medias are talking about it
A thousand and one ways to celebrate winter downtown now until March 2022
A thousand and one ways to celebrate winter downtown now until March 2022The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts all aglow for the Holidays
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts all aglow for the HolidaysFree guided tours of Luminothérapie and the Luminous Pathway in Quartier des spectacles
Free guided tours of Luminothérapie and the Luminous Pathway in Quartier des spectaclesThird edition Luminothérapie in Quartier des Spectacles: An invigorating multisensory experience!
Third edition Luminothérapie in Quartier des Spectacles: An invigorating multisensory experience!2012 Light Therapy winners announced: Two creative teams to reinvent winter in Quartier des Spectacles
2012 Light Therapy winners announced: Two creative teams to reinvent winter in Quartier des SpectaclesLight Therapy Contest Phase 2: Design and production of video content for projection onto eight Quartier des Spectacles facades
Light Therapy Contest Phase 2: Design and production of video content for projection onto eight Quartier des Spectacles facadesLight Therapy in Quartier des Spectacles Competition: activities and installations for public spaces
Light Therapy in Quartier des Spectacles Competition: activities and installations for public spaces