Novembre Numérique 2024

The eighth edition of Novembre Numérique, dedicated to immersive creation and video mapping, concluded on November 30, 2024, in Toronto. This event, organized by the cultural department of the French Embassy in Canada in partnership with OCAD University and supported by the Institut Français, enabled French artist Maxime Touroute to lead a program rich in discoveries and creations from November 25 to 30.

For three months, Maxime Touroute supervised a hybrid residency with seven students from OCAD University. Together, they designed seven original video mappings, combining technical innovation and artistic vision. This collaborative work was presented at two key events: an evening at the Royal Ontario Museum, as part of ROM After Dark, and a showcase at OCAD University, which attracted nearly 2,000 visitors. Among them, 750 participants interacted with the works and contributed to the creation of more than 2,000 personalized animations, demonstrating the public's interest in immersive experiences.

Beyond the public presentations, the artist met with key players in the Toronto ecosystem, including The Bentway, Arcadia Earth, and Illuminarium. These exchanges explored opportunities for future collaborations between France and Canada in the field of digital creation.
 

A dialogue on artificial intelligence and its role in creative processes also took place during a panel discussion bringing together Maxime Touroute, Debbie Deer, and Maziar Ghaderi, three other Canadian experts. This exchange addressed the ethical issues and possibilities offered by this technology in the digital arts.

Finally, a meeting with Toronto-based French-speaking artist collective Le Labo provided an opportunity to share thoughts on the challenges and inspirations of the creative process, strengthening ties between local and international artistic communities.

This edition of Novembre Numérique not only consolidated the relationships established with Toronto partners, but also opened up new perspectives for the cultural and creative industries. It illustrates the ambition of French cultural diplomacy to place artistic innovation at the heart of exchanges between France and Canada.