Michel Lemieux

A multidisciplinary artist who graduated in production from the National Theatre School of Canada in 1979, Michel Lemieux never ceases to amaze with the originality and scope of his creative range. In 1980, he took part in a group exhibition entitled TRACES/TRACKS at the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal. He began working as a poster artist and photographer in 1981, when he met Édouard Lock, a young choreographer working on new dance in Montreal. Lemieux then became a composer/performer in the fledgling company LA LA LA Human Steps alongside Louise Lecavalier. In 1982, Michel created the performances LE TYMPAN DE LA CANTATRICE and L'ŒIL RECHARGEABLE at the Galerie Véhicule Art and toured them in Canada and France.

In 1984, Lemieux's multidisciplinary solo show SOLIDE SALADE made its mark on the national and international performing arts scene, and was performed on stage across four continents for years. Since then, this designer, director, set designer, stage director, composer and performer has remained at the forefront of the integration of the performing and digital arts.

In 1990, together with Victor Pilon, he founded Lemieux Pilon 4D Art, which has produced unique shows in which meaning and emotion are heightened by the use of new technologies. These include GRAND HÔTEL DES ÉTRANGERS, created at the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal; ORFÉO, created at Usine C; and ANIMA, created at the Fonderie Darling. These shows have toured extensively around the world.

In 2014, the digital installation DREAMSCAPES was presented at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts to celebrate the 30th anniversary of 4D Art. In addition, Lemieux co-directed the theatre shows LA TEMPÊTE, LA BELLE ET LA BÊTE and ICARE, created at the THÉÂTRE DU NOUVEAU-MONDE, and NORMAN, created at PLACE DES ARTS' 5e salle. These latter shows have also been presented on numerous international tours, as have several of his other creations at the frontiers of the digital and performing arts.

Lemieux also co-wrote with Pilon the major arena touring shows DELIRIUM and TORUK for CIRQUE DU SOLEIL, each of which toured the world for four years. In addition, Lemieux co-designed and directed CONTINUUM, an immersive dome narrative film for MONTREAL'S new RIO TINTO ALCAN PLANETARIUM.

Since 2016, Lemieux has co-created and produced CITÉ MÉMOIRE MONTRÉAL, the world's largest urban projection route, deployed throughout Montréal. More recently, he designed and produced CITÉ MÉMOIRE POINTE-AUX-TREMBLES and CITÉ MÉMOIRE CHARLEVOIX.

In addition, Lemieux created and produced the PARCOURS INSITU AR augmented reality trail, a digital cultural trail featuring 17 of Montreal's cultural institutions, and the INSITU WALL, an interactive wall projected outdoors on one of the walls of the Maison symphonique de Montréal and on the Théâtre Hector-Charland in l'Assomption. These latest creations are still being presented today.

Michel Lemieux's solo career with 4D Art has also been marked by numerous creations and achievements, including his first performances, THE DISSOLUTION OF LADY MACBETH, a digital work commissioned by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts to open the exhibition Thierry Mugler: Couturissime, which was seen by over 1.2 million visitors in Montreal, Rotterdam, Munich, Paris and Brooklyn.

Since 2020, Michel Lemieux has directed several narrative works in virtual reality, including UNTOUCHED, INVISIBLE and ICARUS. The latter has been shown at numerous film festivals around the world, including the CANNES XR Festival. These immersive virtual reality works have been brought together in 4D ART SPACE, an open virtual space where digital art is an extension of living art, created as part of the exhibition DIGITAL PIONEERS organised by the PHI CENTRE for the 60th anniversary of PLACE DES ARTS in autumn 2023.

Michel continues to expand his creative universe with many new creations to come.