Pixiness is an interactive digital art installation integrated into the façade of the Société des arts technologiques (SAT) on Saint-Laurent Boulevard in Montreal. Conceived by artist Axel Morgenthaler, this monumental installation is part of the Quartier des spectacles’ Luminous Pathway.

Stretching 18 metres long and 3.6 metres high, Pixiness is composed of 12 motorized prisms, each featuring one mirrored face and one face made up of giant luminous pixels. The rotation of the prisms, combined with a matrix of 960 interactive LED pixels, creates a dynamic visual interplay, shifting between reflections of the urban environment and low-resolution luminous imagery.

Generique Design was responsible for the industrial and mechanical design, technology integration, and the supervision of fabrication and installation. Due to the length of the work, a major technical challenge was managing the thermal expansion of the aluminum extrusion segments, which required the development of custom ball-bearing supports.

Blending architectural art, light art, and interactivity, Pixiness transforms the SAT’s façade into an evolving digital playground, accessible to all, day and night.