Founded in 1987, SXSW is synonymous with the best of the creative industry. The yearly event constantly hits the community’s highest standards while staying true to its mission of reaching out to the masses and building bridges between communities while showcasing the best of the industry and the latest trends. What started as a forum around the future of entertainment and media grew into what many people in our industry would describe as the blueprint for running an ever-evolving event.
Today, SXSW attracts governmental officials, C-level executives, movie stars, music enthusiasts and the simple youth looking for a good time. Spread across the city, temporary houses or pavilions are erected for a few days before being transformed overnight to host completely different experiences. There is something for everyone, and the event is one of the world’s biggest platforms for brands to launch new business lines, promote their latest products or remind the world of what they have to offer.
LeMonde Studio is proud to team up with Telefilm Canada and Overall Studio and transform the Swan Dive into the Canada House for a week. Our mandate is simple, showcase the unique Canadian balance between creativity, immersive entertainment, and sustainability. For the occasion, our team is launching our latest innovation, the Totem, dressed up for the event as a one-of-a-kind palm tree. Based on the location and activation goal, the structure uses various green technologies, including solar panels, motion detection technology and a system of cranks to distribute a refreshing mist to anyone sitting under it. The unit is 100% off-grid and controls the mist level, factoring in the current temperature. The structure also has lights and speakers activated through the crank, adding to the immersive experience.
In addition to our Totem, our team has been busy redesigning some of our all-time favourite products, including several human-powered music boxes, our now-famous Mini Banc-Nana, the Fun-Gi, which took residence last summer at the Jardins de Metis and the always popular, hand-cranked photo booth to make sure each visitors remember their time at the Canada House for a long-time. Each installation will serve as a unique setting for business meetings and be entirely energy independent. Still, it will also promote Canadian bands hand-picked by CIMA for their 2023 SXSW showcase.
“Whether we like it or not, the world is changing, and urbanists face new challenges. Public spaces are affected by constant climate changes and are now becoming heat islands during the summer months. Our team spent the last three years focusing on finding solutions that would be artistically pleasing while fighting this problem. Our solution is modular and adaptable to any space. We are proud to offer our client’s mini sustainable parks”, says Felix Marzell proudly.
The Canada house will occur at the Swan Dive in Austin from March 11th to 16th.
Written by Nicolas Synnott
Managing Partner and COO of LeMonde Studio
