Mapping Motion: Winner of the Palais des congrès de Montréal's call for concepts in artificial intelligence

MONTRÉAL, Feb. 16, 2026 /CNW/ - On the sidelines of the 2025 edition of the E-AI event, the Palais des congrès de Montréal launched a call for concepts in artificial intelligence in collaboration with TKNL--its audiovisual partner--and Divertir IA. Through a jury process, the Montréal company Mapping Motion was selected. It will present its concept Stay Toon! on February 18 and 19, 2026 as part of E-AI 2026.

Launched in summer 2025, the call for concepts invited creative minds to explore how artificial intelligence can transform the Palais' event spaces and renew the visitor experience. Emphasis was placed on interactive, accessible proposals, rooted on site, capable of redefining the relationship between people and their environment.

A collective work

Chosen for its conceptual strength, Stay Toon! is an interactive artistic work that pays tribute to the world of vintage cartoons and revisits codes through generative AI. It was cocreated by digital artist Jeremy Fassio and digital technology specialist Damien Mortini, under Mapping Studio, a Montréal graphic animation studio known for its creation of large-scale content and its desire to bring digital into the public realm.

Invited to have their photo taken, participants see their portrait transformed, through generative AI, into a cartoonish version based on Jeremy Fassio's vibrant universe and whacky characters. A second AI then brings these fixed images to life on the screen with movement. Next, the animations generated are integrated into a constantly evolving mosaic, transforming a space at the Palais into a living gallery shaped by the public.

By merging art and technology in a process that's both immersive and profoundly human, the digital experience becomes tangible and rooted in reality: participants must be on site to be photographed and see their image integrated into the collective work. In contrast to hyperrealist, even misleading AI, Stay Toon! cheerfully flips reality into playful pop unreality. The project defines itself as a 150% work: 100% human, 50% AI. Based on human creativity, the work assumes a hybrid nature: an interactive experience enhanced by AI but created by and for humans.

A Montréal cocreation supported by the Palais 

As the winner of the call for concepts, Mapping Motion received $25,000 in funding from the Palais des congrès de Montréal to support the development of Stay Toon!, along with professional and technical support from TKNL. The project will be officially launched during E-AI 2026, an event exploring the crossroads between artificial intelligence, creation and entertainment.

Created for events, Stay Toon! is user-friendly, accessible and bilingual, and modular enough to be used in multiple spaces at the Palais and adapted to suit a wide variety of events.

The general public will also have the opportunity to discover Stay Toon! during the free program of activities that will be held in the Palais' public space for Nuit blanche à Montréal 2026, on Saturday, February 28, from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Quotes

"Artificial intelligence opens up new possibilities for rethinking our spaces and how the public experiences them. With this call for concepts, we wanted to move from reflection to concrete experimentation, on site. Stay Toon! embodies this goal perfectly: an accessible, participatory work that transforms the event experience and invites the public to enjoy the Palais in a whole new way." – Emmanuelle Legault, President and CEO of the Palais des congrès de Montréal

"The work naturally fits in at the Palais des congrès, a place criss-crossed every day by many local and international visitors. Cartoons, through their evocative power and collective imagination, constitute a universal language that, like Montréal and the Palais, transcends borders. The proposed experience follows the same logic: it's self-explanatory. Behind the cutting-edge technology, the interaction is simple and intuitive, for an immediate result that everyone can understand and enjoy." – Jeremy Fassio, digital artist and motion designer, cocreator of Stay Toon!

About the Palais des congrès de Montréal 

A creative solutions centre and a showcase for the city's spirit and expertise, the Palais des congrès de Montréal has been promoting and hosting large-scale events since 1983. Generating significant economic, social and intellectual benefits, it encourages innovation and acts as a force for progress for both Montréal and Québec. The Palais is firmly committed to sustainability and takes numerous innovative, concrete steps to make it a central component of its business development. With one of the highest customer satisfaction rates in the world, the Palais actively contributes to the international reputation of Montréal, the top host city for international events in America for nine years in a row. congresmtl.com

Note: Presented for the first time as part of E-AI 2026, official images from Stay Toon! will be available as of February 18. For media representatives who'd like to create their own images and enjoy the experience, please contact me.

SOURCE Palais des congrès de Montréal

Information: Sébastien Zickgraf, Advisor and Copywriter, Communications and Public Affairs, Palais des congrès de Montréal, 514 871-5849, [email protected]