Spend next Canada Day with a giant spider and a dragon-horse
July 8, 2016 12:39 PM   Subscribe

Long Ma Jin Shen, a "large-scaled production where a dragon-horse encounters a giant spider in a downpour of sound and special effects," created by French production company La Machine, will be making its first North American appearance in Ottawa during Canada Day celebrations in 2017.

“Taking a production of this magnitude to the streets, where a collective imagination, an intangible heritage and a shared identity come into being, is not a trivial matter. A nation’s identity and culture stems from these grassroots,” said François Delarozière, Artistic Director, La Machine in a statement. “We hope our art form will connect with and inspire Ottawa residents and all Canadians in 2017.”

La Machine and their Long Ma Jing Shen creations in action recently (links in French, but with lots of pictures and video), in various locations:

La Machine ignites Calais

Kumo the giant spider's walks are followed by onlookers in Nantes

Kumo the giant spider leaves her nest in Nantes for the first time

Long Ma Jing Shen in Beijing

La Machine previously on Metafilter:

Sea Odyssey Giant Spectacular takes over the streets of Liverpool

Kingdom of the Spiders

Giant Spider attacks Liverpool
posted by mandolin conspiracy (19 comments total) 9 users marked this as a favorite
 
Is this the first appearance of a La Machine or Royal de Luxe performance in North America?

Also, brb booking tickets to Ottawa.
posted by soren_lorensen at 12:51 PM on July 8, 2016


Yep, looks like, according to CBC: "It will be the first time the fire-breathing and water spraying creatures invade North America."
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 12:56 PM on July 8, 2016


Chicago was supposed to host Royal de Luxe this year but cancelled because America hates public art and Chicago politics is a dumpster fire, and I was gutted. It's been a goal of mine for years now to see one of these performances. My kid's birthday is on Canada Day and he'll be five next year. It's just too perfect. I need to get him a passport.
posted by soren_lorensen at 1:00 PM on July 8, 2016 [3 favorites]


This looks pretty neat and all but I thought the Canada Day celebrations in Ottawa tended to feature more homegrown events.
posted by Hoopo at 1:04 PM on July 8, 2016


When the Apocalypse comes, if it doesn't look exactly like this I am going to be one very unsatisfied customer.
posted by Atom Eyes at 1:21 PM on July 8, 2016


dragon-horse encounters a giant spider

Two solitudes
posted by Kabanos at 1:23 PM on July 8, 2016 [8 favorites]


Spend next Canada Day with a giant spider and a dragon-horse

i was excited for what i thought might be new demographics represented in trudeau's cabinet but no, alas, i am disappoint.
posted by poffin boffin at 1:26 PM on July 8, 2016


Duuuuuuuude.

I wonder if I can arrange to be in Ottawa next July.
posted by quaking fajita at 1:29 PM on July 8, 2016


Jaques Parizeau: "It was money and the arachnid vote."
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 1:35 PM on July 8, 2016 [1 favorite]


Welcome to La Machine!
posted by fairmettle at 1:56 PM on July 8, 2016


La Machine is sort of the Christo for weird steampunk art projects. I'm okay with this.
posted by hippybear at 2:01 PM on July 8, 2016 [1 favorite]


Even without this, Ottawa on Canada Day is a lot of fun and I'd encourage anyone to go. Make a weekend of it, check out the gallery and the museums and Parliament and the brand new giant sinkhole
posted by Hoopo at 2:36 PM on July 8, 2016 [3 favorites]


Nothing says the 150th anniversary of Confederation like dragon-horses and giant spiders.

Just one more reason to be glad we voted out Harper. We'd have had wall-to-wall Fathers of Confederation instead of some sort of Euro-Chinese steampunk fever dream.
posted by GhostintheMachine at 2:56 PM on July 8, 2016


Unfortunately, I moved from Ottawa a few years back. I honestly thought the giant robot spiders would arrive on Stephen Harper's watch.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 3:22 PM on July 8, 2016 [3 favorites]


Sounds like a great opportunity for La Metafilter Mega Meetup!
posted by srboisvert at 3:25 PM on July 8, 2016 [1 favorite]


Unfortunately, I moved from Ottawa a few years back. I honestly thought the giant robot spiders would arrive on Stephen Harper's watch.

Fools! The lizard-people were the only things keeping the giant robot spiders down!
posted by sebastienbailard at 3:30 PM on July 8, 2016


Oh man, I live in Ottawa and I always leave town for Canada Day, because... well, I guess because it never involved giant spiders before. This changes things.
posted by ITheCosmos at 10:58 AM on July 9, 2016


On reflection, Ottawa already has a famous giant spider, so it's not that much of a stretch.
posted by ITheCosmos at 10:59 AM on July 9, 2016 [4 favorites]


I too avoid the downtown celebrations for Canada day every year since I was 18 and I *was* the drunk guy on the bus at 12am. Now I am older and quieter but I think a giant spider and fire breathing dragon might pull me out of my shell.
posted by Naib at 3:39 PM on July 9, 2016


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