Impulse

Plaza del Pilar - 2026

Lateral Office y CS Design Lateral Office and CS Design with soundscape by Mitchell Akiyama. Producción de Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, distributed by QDSinternational

“Impulse” is born from the spirit of childhood play, when a seesaw felt like a gateway to discovery. Each movement triggers lights and sounds, transforming a game we’ve all known since childhood into a landscape of interaction and joy.

The piece invites people to play, laugh, and explore together, reminding us of the magic of connecting with others through the simplest of gestures.

The work

“Impulse” invites the public to step into a playful experience built around a universal symbol of childhood: the seesaw. The installation features a series of teeter-totters that respond to participants’ movements, generating shifting lights and sounds. Each interaction helps shape an ephemeral environment, constantly evolving, where the city itself becomes a space for collective play.

Far from being random, Impulse’s lighting and sound design draws inspiration from serialism — a musical method that organizes sound in structured sequences, creating zones of intensity and calm that subtly guide the experience. In this way, each participant is not only playing, but also contributing to a living composition that celebrates collaboration and interaction.

The piece invites people to laugh, move, and connect with one another, transforming an everyday gesture into a moment of shared joy.

The artist

“Impulse” is a creation by Lateral Office, a Canadian experimental architecture studio, and CS Design, a firm specializing in lighting design for public spaces and artistic works.

Production is led by Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, a key player in Montreal’s cultural activation, while international distribution is handled by QDSinternational, an organization with extensive expertise in touring large-scale participatory installations in public spaces.