Espace pour la vie is very pleased to announce the return of one of its flagship fall activities at the Jardin botanique de Montréal: Gardens of Light, from September 3 to October 31, 2021. After the period we have just gone through, these festivities, synonymous with wonder, are most welcome!
And as good things often come in pairs, the Gardens of Light event has been renewed this year, offering a new immersive journey and a First Nations Garden like you've never seen before.
Ode to the Moon
A universal beacon that has guided human beings since the dawn of time, the Moon is the light that accompanies visitors throughout their discovery of the Gardens of Light.
As they stroll along, guided by the night star, passers-by are invited to howl with the wolves, thus unveiling the Moon. And the more the participants play along, the more the Moon becomes round. The Wolf’s Chorus is a dialogue between man and nature.
As they continue their stroll, visitors are dazzled by the poetry of the Japanese Garden, which is transformed into a vast canvas onto which autumn settles. Then, they are greeted by the magic of the First Nations Garden in an immersive and poetic journey to the heart of the seasons of life, accompanied by the spirits of the river, fire, forest and wind. And finally, in a final twist, the Chinese Garden lights up, casting a shadow on its lunar rival. Its hundreds of lanterns whisper to passers-by the legend of Pangu, the giant who created the world.
Ode to the Moon is a concept imagined by Atomic3 and 20k.
At the Japanese Garden
The cycle of the seasons
The Japanese are very sensitive to the present moment and to the changing seasons in all their manifestations. The impermanence of things makes the seasons all the more precious. The illuminated Japanese Garden is a living work of art where the plants, their structure, their colours, but also the landscaping, steal the show.
The First Nations Garden
The rhythm of life
At the heart of the sacred circle where the seasons of life follow one another in perpetual motion, the Moon marks time and sets the rhythm of life. Inhabited by these great spiritual principles shared by Aboriginal peoples and carried by the words of Innu poet Joséphine Bacon, the illuminated path of the First Nations Garden invites visitors on an immersive and poetic journey to the heart of the circle of life.
At the Chinese Garden
The legend of Pangu, the giant who created the world
Before the world was created, the legend tells that the Universe looked like a large egg in which Heaven and Earth were mixed together and where Pangu lay in a deep sleep. After 18,000 years, he emerged, shattering the walls in a thunderclap. It took him another 18,000 years to put the broken pieces together again. When he succeeded, his body became the fertile soil, his blood, the rivers, his sweat, the rain, his hair, the trees and plants, his eyes, the Sun and the Moon, his breath, the wind, his voice, the thunder, and his lice and fleas... human beings! His limbs formed the four cardinal points where the Chinese mythical animals reign: the Black Tortoise, the Vermillion Bird, the Azure Dragon, and the White Tiger.
Timed tickets
Times tickets, hugely popular in 2019, are back. To fully enjoy the tour, you will need to choose a set time for your visit when you purchase your tickets. This will allow you to wander freely through the three cultural gardens inside the Jardin botanique. Tickets also give you access to the Jardin botanique as a whole, which can be visited at any time during the day.
Ticketing and schedule: https://espacepourlavie.ca/en/ticketing
Gardens of Light is funded in part through the Entente sur le développement culturel de Montréal between the City of Montréal and the Government of Quebec.
Digital press kit #Gardensoflight
- 30 -About Espace pour la vie
Espace pour la vie is made up of five major attractions: the Biodôme, the Biosphère, the Insectarium, the Jardin botanique and the Planétarium Rio Tinto Alcan. These prestigious municipal institutions form Canada’s largest natural science museum complex. Together, they are launching a daring, creative urban movement, encouraging all of us to rethink the connection between humankind and nature and cultivate a new way of living.
