How it Works
Composed of 7 interactive modules divided into 2 levels of interaction: contemplative and participatory, Celestia adapts its light and sound environment according to the interaction of the public
The public is invited to rotate the mobile modules and inhabit the fixed modules.
Inactivated, Celestia’s luminous bulbs flicker and the installation emits continuous ambient music.
As you approach, explore, turn and inhabit the modules, they reveal poetic narratives through audio.
The more people interact at the same time, the more the light and sound components are reinforced. Watch the lights evolve to take the color of their module, and the music and narration increase in intensity.
discovery activities
The Star Sisters
Did you know that in the Ancient Greek myth of the Pleiades, each star represents a sister?
(Good to know:
In Greek mythology, the Pleiades are the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione. Unable to recover from the death of their sisters, the Hyades, they take their own lives and are turned into stars.
According to another legend, Zeus saved them from the giant Orion, a god known for his hunting skills, by transforming them into doves and placing them among the constellations. Even today, the constellation of the Pleiades can be observed in the sky after dark, and particularly clearly in winter skies.)
In the installation Celestia, each module represents one of the Pleiades sisters, each with their own name, color, voice, and personality.
1) Walk from module to module and interact with each of them to listen carefully to Carolanne Foucher’s poems and Yolande Okia Picard’s tale.
2) While you are listening, try to identify the characters personified by each module, associated with the different sisters of the Pleiades.
To help you, rely on the following list:
Experience, associated with sister Maia
Pride, associated with sister Merope
Creativity, associated with sister Taygetos
Freedom, associated with sister Célaéno
Balance, associated with sister Electra
Compassion, associated with sister Alcyclone
Gentleness, associated with sister Asterope
SOLUTION:
Mint green module: Balance
Red Module: Pride
Yellow Module: Creativity
Orange Module: Freedom
Blue Module: Experience
Purple Module: Compassion
White Module: Gentleness
The Pleiades according to different cultures: the Wendat legend.
The Huron-Wendat version of the myth of the Pleiades has been integrated into one of Celestia's modules !
Indeed, the blue module tells the Wendat legend of the Pleiades through the voice of Yolande Okia Picard, a storyteller from Wendake and member of the wolf clan of the Wendat community.
Good to know! : The Huron-Wendat community is one of the First Nations of Canada. It has long occupied the St. Lawrence Estuary and Valley and occupies an important part of our Quebec and Canadian history.
It was with this community that the explorer Jacques Cartier first made contact during his voyage in search of the Indies in the 1530s. Huron-Wendat Grand Chief Donnacona welcomed Cartier to Stadacona, marking a historic meeting.
Today, Wendake remains a traditional site inhabited by the Huron-Wendat Nation north of Quebec City, where you can discover its art, crafts and universal values.
For Yolande Okia Picard, tales and legends are "keys to opening the doors of the soul." In other words, tools that serve to share and teach values "that help to better understand the meaning of life" and allow you to "grow emotionally."
1) Go find Celestia's blue module and listen to the Wendat legend of the Pleiades narrated by Yolande Okia Picard.
2) As you listen, think about the moral of this story.
What is the moral of the legend in your opinion? Can you identify the main value it evokes? Discuss it with a friend or companion to find out what they think!
solution
The central value taught by the tale is that of sharing!
It is the grandmother's lack of sharing that is responsible for the fate of the seven brothers, who have become the seven stars of the Pleiades.
During the celebration of this moon, we start a new cycle. The ashes are turned over. We forgive.
During this period, we give back what has been given to us, because we know that the Creator, life and nature will give us everything we need for the new cycle. It is also an opportunity to share a feast, to play and have fun.
This legend invites us to consider the meaning of sharing and reminds us of the importance of community life, too often forgotten nowadays." Excerpt from the epilogue of the book Les treize lunes d'Okia: légendes et récits, by Yolande Okia Picard
Retrace the stars!
It is important to note that this activity is only doable if the modules are arranged in the "constellation" layout.
Relying on the following diagram which demonstrates the Pleiades constellation in the sky:
Trace the constellation that the modules form with one another.
1) Draw imaginary lines as you walk from one module to another.
2) By comparing your imaginary constellation to the constellation shown in the diagram above, can you identify which star each module represents?
Careful! There are fewer modules in Celestia than there are stars in the diagram.
Careful! There are fewer modules in Celestia than there are stars in the diagram.
"The Pleiades are very important for the Wendat nation. When they are at their zenith in the sky, it indicates the beginning of the new year. The end of a cycle of thirteen moons. This time is usually between mid-December and mid-February.
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