A new immersive exhibit exploring the Canadian Arctic through the lens of a Quebec filmmaker is coming to Saskatoon in April.
Arctic: A Man Under the Ice will be opening in Saskatoon at the Midtown Plaza on April 22 for a limited time. The exhibit features the work of filmmaker and diver Mario Cyr, who is renowned for his work on wildlife films and documentaries and simulates an Arctic expedition, allowing visitors to see life above and under the ice.
“There’s something pretty special about being immersed in the Arctic in the middle of the Prairies that makes this a pretty special experience,” said Tammy Sweeney, TCU Place CEO.
“Of all things I love about this experience I think it’s the appeal for the kids, for all ages, for families, for school groups, date night and more.”
The exhibit features over 300 images taken during Cyr’s 12,000 dives, which capture a diverse collection of northern lights, polar bears, walruses and diverse aquatic life.
Visitors will be taken through a life-sized base camp and a number of different Arctic areas, including Floe Edge, The Iceberg Garden and The Cave. The exhibit also includes a virtual dive with Cyr in a 360-degree projection space.
Tickets go on sale on Tuesday at www.arctic-undertheice.com and will range in price from $25 to $45. The exhibition is free for children aged four and under. Over 100,000 tickets have already been sold across North America.
In September of last year, SaskTel Centre presented Imagine Van Gogh, another immersive art experience. SaskTel Centre executive director Scott Ford says Saskatoon was the smallest market in North America to host the event, but their sales per capita were the highest.
Sweeney says almost 40,000 people went through the Imagine Van Gogh event and the goal is to surpass that for Arctic: A Man Under the Ice.
“The timing couldn’t be better as we’re coming out of COVID and as our downtown needs a boost and needs a regeneration opportunity,” Sweeney said.
Cyr has worked as an underwater filmmaker on over 150 productions for several clients, including Walt Disney Pictures, Imax 3D and BBC. The exhibition was designed and produced by Cirque Éloize’s Lilli Marcotte and Benoit Landry and based on an original idea by Jeannot Painchaud.
The exhibit is officially supported and endorsed by The Ocean Decade, a global UNESCO program that seeks to stimulate ocean science and create new opportunities for sustainable development of the marine ecosystem.