Vimy

On behalf of the studio "La Bande à Paul", we created two immersive installations for the exhibition "Vimy – Beyond the Battle".

This exhibition aims to immerse museum visitors in the context of the Battle of Vimy and the commemoration of the memory of soldiers fallen at the front.

The War Tunnel

The War Tunnel is a light installation that is both artistic and interactive, aimed at provoking a sudden feeling of stress and discomfort in response to war and battles. This feeling is heightened by the constantly moving projection and the confined space trapping visitors. The latter is designed as a long, narrow, dark corridor. On one side of the tunnel, the projection depicts an ongoing battlefield. Cannons blast their shells, smoke rises from craters, and the silhouettes of soldiers patrol and charge like ghosts on the battlefield. Visitors participate in the installation passively. As they walk through the tunnel, a camera captures them and integrates their shapes onto the battlefield alongside other silhouettes of soldiers. The result is realistic and striking.

The Commemoration Wall

The second installation, The Commemoration Wall, is more symbolic. Each of the lights on this wall represents one of the 3,598 Canadian soldiers killed at Vimy between April 9 and 12, 1917. The lights illuminate and pulse, embodying the lives of these soldiers. They are triggered individually by the presence and movements of visitors. The wall becomes increasingly bright and active as visitors gather. Visitors feel a genuine connection between themselves and these soldiers, realizing the actual number of lives lost during this battle. By seeing their presence affect the intensity of the wall, visitors can reflect on their role in the commemorative process.