“Blur is unlike anything I have ever seen.”
– Charlie Fink, Forbes
EXPERIENCE
→ Blur
- Event
- Limited Places
- Mixed Arts
- Contemporary Art
Look up to address on google map
407 Saint-Pierre Street
Montréal, Québec H2Y 2M3
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
1 PM—8 PM
Wednesday
1 PM—8 PM
Thursday
1 PM—8 PM
Friday
1 PM—8 PM
Saturday
11 AM—6 PM
Sunday
11 AM—6 PM
Tickets
Pre-sale (November 25 & 26 - limited quantity)
$45
Regular
Starting at $50
Fees included, taxes not included. Regular ticket price subject to change.
Useful Information
- This work addresses sensitive subjects. It is recommended for a mature audience.
- This experience uses mixed reality headsets and is not recommended for individuals with claustrophobia, heart conditions, epilepsy, or motion sickness.
- This experience uses mixed reality headsets and is not recommended for individuals with claustrophobia, heart conditions, epilepsy, or motion sickness.
Duration: 45 minutes
Languages: the experience is available in French, English, Mandarin, and Greek.
Ages 16 and up
For accessibility information, please refer to our Plan Your Visit page.
An immersive XR theatre experience, created by Craig Quintero and Phoebe Greenberg
About the Experience
Set in a near future in which cloning and de-extinction have become reality, Blur immerses the audience in a world that obscures the boundaries between real and virtual, fear and desire, fact and fiction. Blur invites the audience to confront profound concerns about grief, identity, and science as they navigate the surreal landscape. At its core, Blur asks the fundamental ethical question: “what would you do if you could defeat death?”
Through innovative motion capture and augmented reality, actors' raw emotions seamlessly weave into the experience, offering a haunting exploration of love, loss, and the perilous implications of “playing God.” Iconic figures like Dolly, a human-animal hybrid, embody the triumphs and ambiguities of science and genetic engineering.
Blur is more than a performance—it is an unforgettable journey that pushes the boundaries of storytelling and theatrical experience. It asks the ultimate question: Can science heal a broken heart, or will it unravel what makes us truly human? The profound and innovative production provides a new paradigm for digitally mediated theater experiences.
Official Selection, Venice Immersive, La Biennale di Venezia, 2025
What the Critics Are Saying
Blur is a deeply emotional work that reflects PHI Studio’s mission to amplify bold, immersive storytelling. Our team is proud to see the project recognized internationally.
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“Blur is unlike anything I have ever seen.”
“Craig Quintero and Phoebe Greenberg’s extraordinary Blur (probably the hottest ticket on the island).”
– Xan Brooks, The Guardian
“Blur—a dense, mesmerizing, and intriguing work—innovates and pushes even further the boundaries of multidisciplinary creation.”
– Marc Cassivi, La Presse
“Blur challenges our understanding of self and mortality.”
– Mirror Media
“A dreamlike and deeply immersive digital experience that breaks the boundaries between theater and technology.”
– Radio Taiwan International
“Blur invites audiences to question the meaning of existence and the limits between life and death.”
– Central News Agency
Artist Biographies
© PHI, photo: Kevin Delamourd.
Co-Director
As the Artistic Director of the Taipei-based Riverbed Theatre Company, Craig has written and directed over fifty original image-based performances, including productions in Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Singapore, China, France, Germany, and the United States. He is also a sculptor and installation artist, whose work has been shown at the Asian Biennial, Venice Biennale Collateral Events, Kobe Biennale, Taipei Biennale, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei MOCA, and the Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art. His VR experience, All That Remains, premiered at the 79th Venice Film Festival (2022) and won the prize for Best Immersive Experience at the 2023 Luxembourg Film Festival and Best 360VR Film at the Kaohsiung Film Festival. His second VR experience, Over the Rainbow, premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival and was selected for the “Best of” section for the 80th Venice Film Festival (2023), also winning the Panorama Prize at the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma. His most recent project, A Simple Silence, premiered at the Venice Film Festival. Craig was named as one of the “25 New Faces of Independent Film” by Filmmaker Magazine in 2023. A former Fulbright Senior Scholar, he earned his Ph.D. in Performance Studies from Northwestern University and is a Professor in the Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies at Grinnell College.
© PHI, photo: Kevin Delamourd.
Co-Director
Phoebe Greenberg, a graduate of the École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq, has passionately explored movement techniques and corporeal theatre. Before returning to Montréal in the 1990s, she performed in and produced theatre across Europe. Greenberg founded Diving Horse Creations, a Montréal-based studio focused on physical performance and the exploration of stage space. In 2007, she established DHC/ART Foundation for Contemporary Art, followed by the PHI Centre in 2012, both dedicated to promoting art and culture in Old Montréal. Notably, she conceived and produced the short film Next Floor (2007, directed by Denis Villeneuve), showcasing her artistic vision and active role in PHI Films. As PHI’s founder and director, Greenberg has championed numerous projects at the crossroads of art, cinema, music, theatre, and extended reality.
Gallery
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Partners
Riverbed Theatre was founded in 1998 in Taipei, Taiwan. The company's image-based, Total Theatre productions blur the boundaries between visual and performing arts. Critics have praised the organic, sculptural quality of Riverbed's "subconscious" theatre, comparing the performances to the best works of Samuel Beckett and David Lynch. Riverbed has staged over fifty original productions, including works at the Taiwan National Theatre, National Taichung Theater, Asia Culture Center (Korea), Esplanade Studio Theatre (Singapore), Theatre de la Condition de Soies (France), Imaginale Figurentheater Festival (Germany), Kobe Arts Village Center (Japan), and Robert Wilson's Watermill Center (USA). In 2022, the company established Riverbed Theatre Ltd. to focus on producing VR and XR productions. Riverbed's virtual reality films have been selected for the Venice Film Festival for three consecutive years (2022-2024) and have won the Best Immersive Experience Award at the Luxembourg City Film Festival, the Panorama Award at the Festival du Nouveau Cinema, and the Best VR360 Award at the Kaohsiung Film Festival.
Onassis Culture, centered around the iconic Onassis Stegi venue—the leading organization in contemporary culture in Greece—connects with Athens through a range of initiatives and works set across the city and beyond. It fosters dialogue on democracy, social justice, gender equality, and the human rights of the LGBTQIA+ community through a series of talks and events. Supporting artistic development, creation, and experimentation, Onassis Culture produces performances, films, and hybrid works while offering fellowships and residencies to both emerging and established artists. With a constant online presence, it creates content that speaks to the present moment. This is culture in sync with the here and now, embracing the local and the global as intertwined aspects of life.
Supported by
Official presentation partner
Co-producer of performances in Taiwan
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
The experience is for participants 16 years and older.
Approximately 45 minutes, with no intermission.
Yes. Manual wheelchairs are allowed (one per time slot). Unfortunately, motorized wheelchairs cannot enter the space. If you use a motorized wheelchair, we can provide a manual transport wheelchair free of charge on-site.
We recommend calling us in advance at 514-225-0525 so we can prepare your visit under the best conditions.
Some images and transitions may be surprising or disorienting, especially during shifts between virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).
Yes. Blur explores themes such as human cloning, scientific ethics, and grief. Some scenes may be emotionally intense and include references to mental health struggles, including a depiction that may allude to suicide. Some guests may find this material triggering, and we encourage attendees to consider their comfort level before participating.
This is an immersive, actor-led experience. At certain moments, performers may engage guests at close range and may make brief, light physical contact as part of the storytelling. If at any point you are uncomfortable, you’re always welcome to step back or let a member of the team know.
Like any immersive experience, Blur XR may cause dizziness, nausea, or discomfort. It is not recommended for people with claustrophobia, epilepsy, heart conditions, motion sickness, or for pregnant participants.
Yes, but only for the purposes of the experience and always with your consent. The experience remains accessible even if you decline.
Mandarin, English, French, and Greek. Subtitles are available upon request.
Yes, if your frames are less than 150 mm wide. Contact lenses are recommended if possible.
It is important to arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled time slot. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate late arrivals. Anyone who arrives late will be denied access to the experience. No refunds or exchanges will be possible.
For safety reasons, backpacks—even small ones—are not allowed. Lockers are available on-site to store your personal belongings.
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