Celestia is a participatory art installation by kleis studio that makes connections between Greek mythology, First Nations oral literature and astronomy.
Inspired by the seven sisters of the Greek myth of the Pleiades, each module is associated with a colour, an emotion and a character trait, which are revealed in the form of poems, tales and musical compositions.
Celestia is composed of seven colorful modules that come to life in sound and light when the public approaches and interacts with the modules.
Produced as part of an initiative of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), Celestia brings together the disciplines specific to each participating city: literature (Quebec), design (Montreal), digital arts (Toronto) and music (London). Indeed, Celestia is the result of a rich artistic collaboration, bringing together Carolanne Foucher, Quebec author and poet, Jérôme Guilleaume, Montreal sound designer, Yolande Okia Picard, Huron-Wendat storyteller and writer, as well as kleis studio.
the artists
Yolande Okia Picard
Yolande Okia Picard is a storyteller, speaker, author, and artisan from the Wendat Nation of the Wolf Clan. Born in Val-d'Or, she chose to settle in Wendake, her father's native village, to reconnect with the culture of her ancestors.
In the 1990s, she traveled across Canada and to various parts of the world to share the Indigenous legends and tales she preserves and transmits. For Yolande Okia Picard, storytelling is a means of transmission that enriches all age groups; to have fun, but above all to learn.
The main objective that guides her approach is to create a world of peace by sharing the values that make its construction possible.
Carolanne Foucher
Carolanne Foucher is a Quebec actress, playwright, and poet. She lends her voice and words to Celestia for the narration and writing of poems that reveal the sisterhood uniting the constellation of modules, as well as their respective characters.
After publishing three books of poetry (Deux et demie, Submersible, Dessiner dans les marges et autres activités de fantôme) and a play (Manipuler avec soin), Carolanne continues to use her training as an actress to bring a healthy dose of dramatic pivots and humour to everything she writes.
kleis
Kleis is a Montreal-based group of professionals in the entertainment, event and outdoor design industry committed to creating memorable artistic experiences that enrich communities and transform environments into functional and captivating spaces.
Jérôme Guilleaume
Jérôme Guilleaume is a multidisciplinary artist from Montreal, trained in classical violin, passionate about digital music, and sound designer for Celestia.
Fascinated by movement, language, mathematics and their intersections, he explores the many avenues offered by these disciplines through digital art, in both sounds and visuals.
Sandrine Thériault, design project manager at Kleis, explains the inspiration behind the theme of the Pleiades:
"The initial inspiration for the installation was born from the need to find a theme that could encompass all the artistic and cultural languages that Canadian UNESCO cities represent" (Quebec: literature, Montreal: design, Toronto: digital arts, London: music).
Under the direction of kleis, whose skillful design laid the foundation for Celestia, the installation allowed for the integration of contributions from other creative talents.
Carolanne Foucher, a Quebec author, wrote poems which were integrated into the modules through audio recordings, accompanied by the musical compositions of Montreal sound designer Jérôme Guilleaume. Yolande Okia Picard enriched the project with the Huron-Wendat version of the Pleiades myth told by her voice full of experience.
creative intentions
By bringing together the vision of these different creators within a single astral collection, Celestia emphasizes the importance of community. Linking its network of modules with the UCCN and the Pleiades sisterhood, the Celestia project placed community, collaboration, and sharing at the center of its artistic process.
The constellation system offered this universal theme, "which could be understood by all" but above all, could put forward "sisterhood, by creating a collection, a network, reminiscent of the network of UNESCO cities."
artistic approach
If the myth of the Pleiades is a story that has inspired poets, musicians and artists of all kinds, from all over the globe and over several hundred centuries, it was fitting that Celestia bring together the work of several creators.
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