Enter an immersive experience and recharge and unwind from COVID-19 anxieties

Recharger/Unwind: Exhibit targets COVID anxiety The immersive art piece consists of three rooms designed to relax, stimulate and reconnect.

MONTREAL — A Montreal exhibit will be part of research to see if art can reduce COVID-19 anxieties.

The immersive art piece called “Recharger/Unwind” consists of three rooms designed to relax, stimulate and reconnect. The project has 119 speakers and 105 laser projectors that bring the art displayed on the walls, floor and ceiling to life.

The idea is to create the feeling the viewer is inside the piece of art.

“It’s rare we walk into an art piece like this,” said co-founder Johnny Ranger. “We walk around and we’re completely immersed.”

Starting next week a study will track a group of Montreal employees who go see a shortened version of the exhibit before work. Their stress levels and moods will be monitored to see if watching the show can reduce back-to-work anxiety.

“We measure the impact on emotion, cognitive levels, but in the context of return to normality,” said president and executive creative director Denys Lavigne.

Recharger/Unwind is also open to the general public. It is on display until the end of January at Palais des Congres.