From the moment you arrive at Léopold Square, you will be greeted by a short film: Chroniques de Lumière. From the first fire that pushed back the night to the LEDs shaping our contemporary cities, this film tells the great luminous story of humanity. Every invention marks a new era, every spark reveals new ways of seeing the world. Mons continues this tradition, dressing itself in works that give the night a lively and moving energy. An introduction that will set the mood for the 3 km route! Work created by ōnō studio (www.onostudio.be), in collaboration with the Museum of the University of Mons, MuMons (www.mumons.be).
ōnō studio team:
Hugo Melas – animation, storyboard
Maciej Waleszczyk – sound creation
Xavier Chylinski – creative direction, storyboard, project management
Antoine Pilette – direction & project management
Chroniques de Lumière
The first work, Chroniques de Lumière, is a fully hand-drawn animation, frame by frame. It takes you on a journey through human history. It all begins in a cave, with prehistoric humans striking flints to create a spark: a foundational moment where humans stop relying solely on the sky for light and begin creating their own. From there, time accelerates.
The animation spans eras and territories, mixing inventions, laboratories, roads, seas, and landscapes, punctuated with small surprises: dancing deer, frogs, pinball, and cultural references slipped in as winks. The whole is accompanied by an original soundtrack, specially composed for the work, closely synchronizing sound and image, immersing you in continuous energy.
The film concludes with a simple, collective celebration of this new 2026 route, an experience you can already share today in public spaces. A subtle tribute is also paid to Loïe Fuller, a pioneering figure who demonstrated early on that light could become a fully-fledged artistic medium.
The animation was drawn by Hugo Melas, while the music was composed by Maciej Waleszczyk. Creative direction was led by Xavier Chylinski, with a storyboard developed collectively and a constant exchange of ideas.
Phare des Possibles
The second work, Phare des Possibles, is the opposite of the first. It adopts a more abstract approach, where light and electricity are seen as pure movement. Designed as a tribute to the founders of the polytechnic school, it reminds us that today’s scientific and artistic advances are built on a long chain of research, experimentation, and knowledge transfer. The building itself strongly influenced the project: its 14 windows, all of different sizes and irregularly spaced, were integrated into the animation. It is not simply about projecting a video onto a façade, but about making the building react and bringing it to life.
Created using After Effects and TouchDesigner, the projection relies on an original soundtrack, also composed by Maciej Waleszczyk, designed to ensure precise and immersive synchronization between sound and image. The visuals were created by Maciej Waleszczyk and Xavier Chylinski, who also directs the project creatively.
Both projects are managed and directed by Antoine Pilette and Xavier Chylinski. The entire project is funded by MuMons and graphically produced by ōnō studio (www.onostudio.be).