A new book from Daily tous les jours reflects on fifteen years of creating shared public experiences—and offers a glimpse into where their practice is heading next.
Daily tous les jours, the Montreal-based studio co-founded by Mouna Andraos and Melissa Mongiat, has spent the past fifteen years creating participatory installations that reimagine how people experience public space. Through sound, movement, and storytelling, their work invites strangers to connect—often in joyful, unexpected ways.
Now, with the release of their first book, Strangers Need Strange Moments Together, Mongiat and Andraos are reflecting on that journey. The book serves as part manifesto, part behind-the-scenes process guide, and part open invitation to reshape the way we live together.
A Book Years in the Making
The idea of a book had been circulating in the studio for years. “Maybe 8 or 9 years ago, we started floating the idea around,” said Mongiat. “But things kicked into gear around 2020–2021. We had done a smaller publication during the pandemic that looked at public space and interaction under lockdown, and that served as a bit of a dress rehearsal—getting us to start structuring and articulating some of the reasons behind our work in a different format.”
That time of global disconnection sharpened their purpose. “At first, everything froze,” Mongiat recalled. “Then we realized that the safest place to be was outside. And people were going a little stir-crazy, only interacting with those in their immediate bubbles.”
The team began to see their core values in sharper relief. “Cities rely on informal connections,” said Mongiat. “People who don’t know each other need to collaborate to stay alive, in a way.”
Why Strangers Matter
The title Strangers Need Strange Moments Together speaks directly to this ethos. “Strangers are our main audience when we work in public space,” Mongiat explained. “They’re also our greatest gratification—when they come together.”
In a time of heightened loneliness, anxiety, and polarization, those small moments of connection are essential. “We believe we need strangers to come together to make cities healthier and more vibrant,” she said.
As a studio, Daily tous les jours embraces that social fabric. “We need to drop our guard and engage with each other—to reach out, listen, and realize we have more in common than we think,” they shared.
Evolving Practice, Expanding Scale
From the start, the studio was more interested in how technology shapes relationships than in public space specifically. But the street, they found, was more generative than the gallery. Over time, their work evolved to integrate music, choreography, architecture, and digital tools—always in the service of connection.
“We’re aware of the positive impact of bringing music, dance, and storytelling into shared public space,” said Mongiat. They’re now focused on scaling their impact—designing modular or repeatable pieces, activating entire plazas or neighborhoods, and reaching broader audiences.
They also pointed to a growing interest in nature and stillness. Two new works are sited in forests—one on Hornby Island in British Columbia, and another in Quebec. “Usually, our work encourages people to move and interact. In this case, we’re inviting stillness,” Mongiat said. “To perch. To pay attention.”
Andraos added, “We’re playing with camouflage—integrating the structure into the environment. The idea is that form follows forest.”
Andraos noted that this nature-based work isn’t about escapism, but awareness: “We’re asking what time spent in the natural world can teach us—and what we can bring back to our urban experience.”
Secular Rituals and Shared Awe
Daily tous les jours is also asking broader questions about the emotional function of shared experience. “A few years ago, it felt like religion was on the decline,” said Mongiat. “Now it seems to be returning in new forms.”
Rather than replicating spiritual structures, the studio is curious about how public gatherings—through music, movement, and story—can fulfill some of that desire for ritual, reflection, and connection. “We’re curious about how shared public experiences might offer people some of the emotional connection and communal support that spiritual rituals provide,” Mongiat added.
A Moment That Gave Them Hope
When asked to share a recent moment that brought joy or hope, Andraos described attending Piknic Électronik—a large outdoor electronic music festival in Montreal.
“Exceptionally, I didn’t have the kids that day, and Melissa and I went together,” she said. “At some point, we ended up on stage, looking out at a crowd of 10,000 people—all moving together. It was this incredible vibration of collective joy. It reminded me: this is still precious. It still matters.”
Through their work and now their book, Daily tous les jours continues advocating for public spaces that foster genuine human connection. In an era of increasing isolation, their message is both simple and revolutionary: we need each other, and we need spaces that help us remember that fundamental truth.
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