Almaguin Community Soundscapes
April 3 to May 31, 2025. Open 10 am to 4 pm everyday except Tuesdays and Wednesdays
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario
Admission by Donation
Almaguin Community Soundscapes is an exhibition that surrounds one with the sounds of spring using a multi-channel speaker system and recordings made by residents of the Almaguin Highlands. The spring season is a special time of the year in the region as the snow melts, the ice breaks up on the lakes and the arrival of insects and birds is loudly announced by the sounds made by peepers.
If you live in the Almaguin Highlands and wish to contribute spring soundscapes from your home then please get in touch (naisa at nasia dot ca). Listen to a selection of the recordings by visiting Aporee.org
To contribute sounds from a location you know in the Almaguin Highlands consult these guidelines or visit us at NAISA.
April 3 to May 31, 2025. Open 10 am to 4 pm everyday except Tuesdays and Wednesdays
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario
Admission by Donation
Almaguin Community Soundscapes is an exhibition that surrounds one with the sounds of spring using a multi-channel speaker system and recordings made by residents of the Almaguin Highlands. The spring season is a special time of the year in the region as the snow melts, the ice breaks up on the lakes and the arrival of insects and birds is loudly announced by the sounds made by peepers.
If you live in the Almaguin Highlands and wish to contribute spring soundscapes from your home then please get in touch (naisa at nasia dot ca). Listen to a selection of the recordings by visiting Aporee.org
To contribute sounds from a location you know in the Almaguin Highlands consult these guidelines or visit us at NAISA.
Haptic Voices
Interactive Installation
By David Bobier and Jim Ruxton
June 12 to September 15, 2025. Open 10 am to 4 pm Thursday to Monday.
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario.
Admission by Donation
Haptic Voices is a large scale ten channel vibrotactile wall with the potential for 10 independent streams of sound signals. Visitors are invited to stand against the wall to experience vibrations that are controlled using an iPad.
Six sound compositions, designed explicitly for the vibrotactile experience, were commissioned for the wall. The composers include Toronto-based John Gzowski and Ravi Naimpally, Hamilton composer Edgardo Moreno, Deaf Irish composer Ailís Ní Ríain, Haptic Voices creator Jim Ruxton and VibraFusionLab Director David Bobier.
Using vibration as the final output, Haptic Voices is equally accessible to the Deaf, hard of hearing and able-bodied communities to experience the wall. A couple of new works by Bobier and Ruxton will be presented in addition to the Haptic Voices installation.
Interactive Installation
By David Bobier and Jim Ruxton
June 12 to September 15, 2025. Open 10 am to 4 pm Thursday to Monday.
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario.
Admission by Donation
Haptic Voices is a large scale ten channel vibrotactile wall with the potential for 10 independent streams of sound signals. Visitors are invited to stand against the wall to experience vibrations that are controlled using an iPad.
Six sound compositions, designed explicitly for the vibrotactile experience, were commissioned for the wall. The composers include Toronto-based John Gzowski and Ravi Naimpally, Hamilton composer Edgardo Moreno, Deaf Irish composer Ailís Ní Ríain, Haptic Voices creator Jim Ruxton and VibraFusionLab Director David Bobier.
Using vibration as the final output, Haptic Voices is equally accessible to the Deaf, hard of hearing and able-bodied communities to experience the wall. A couple of new works by Bobier and Ruxton will be presented in addition to the Haptic Voices installation.
David Bobier is a disabled artist whose creative practice is exploring vibrotactile technology as a creative medium. This work led to his establishment in 2012 of VibraFusionLab, a creative multi-media, multi-sensory centre that has a reputation as a leader in accessibility for the Deaf and disability arts movement in Canada and internationally. As a practicing artist his exhibition career includes 18 solo and over 30 group exhibition projects across Canada and internationally.
David Bobier has served in advisory roles in developing Deaf and disability arts Equity programs for both Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council and a presenter at the Global Disability Summit in London, UK. He has recently been nominated by the Canada Council for a Governor Generals Innovation Award. Website: Vibrafusion Lab
Jim Ruxton has a Masters in Electrical Engineering from the University of Ottawa and is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design . He works as an artist and engineer in installation, performance, theatre, dance and film collaborating with many other artists throughout his career. Jim is a founder and former Director of Programs for Subtle Technologies, a Toronto based organization that has created links between artists and scientists . Jim is a member of the Hamilton based VibraFusionLab collective, an organization that works to foster media arts within the Deaf and disabled arts community.
Voice of the Water
Interactive Installation
By Eric Powell
Opening July 18 (Thurs-Mon, 10 am to 4 pm)
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario.
Admission by Donation
Voice of the Water is an interactive rotary telephone-based listening station. Using sounds collected from inside the lakes and rivers around South River, Voice of the Water encourages listeners to connect with the local waterways as they explore the boundaries and overlaps between planes of existence. The Artist's goal is to create a venue for contemplation, catharsis, and a deeper engagement with the surrounding environment.
Sound Fishing Invitation
Go on a listening expedition with a staff member from NAISA to record underwater sounds in the vicinity of South River. Equipped with a recorder, hydrophones and other sensitive microphones you will explore the sounds of the world in intimate listening proximity to one of the many water ways within 30 KM of the village of South River.
The sounds you record will be included in Voice of the Water. Participation is FREE and the invitation is ongoing. Call NAISA or Email to make a 2 hour (maximum) appointment to record sounds at a nearby lake, river, stream, or creak. All weather conditions are possible save for thunder and lightning storms. Dress appropriately for the conditions, including bug protection.
Interactive Installation
By Eric Powell
Opening July 18 (Thurs-Mon, 10 am to 4 pm)
NAISA North Media Arts Centre, 313 Highway 124, South River, Ontario.
Admission by Donation
Voice of the Water is an interactive rotary telephone-based listening station. Using sounds collected from inside the lakes and rivers around South River, Voice of the Water encourages listeners to connect with the local waterways as they explore the boundaries and overlaps between planes of existence. The Artist's goal is to create a venue for contemplation, catharsis, and a deeper engagement with the surrounding environment.
Sound Fishing Invitation
Go on a listening expedition with a staff member from NAISA to record underwater sounds in the vicinity of South River. Equipped with a recorder, hydrophones and other sensitive microphones you will explore the sounds of the world in intimate listening proximity to one of the many water ways within 30 KM of the village of South River.
The sounds you record will be included in Voice of the Water. Participation is FREE and the invitation is ongoing. Call NAISA or Email to make a 2 hour (maximum) appointment to record sounds at a nearby lake, river, stream, or creak. All weather conditions are possible save for thunder and lightning storms. Dress appropriately for the conditions, including bug protection.
Eric Powell is a sound artist, composer, teacher, and tinkerer. His practice brings together maps, interactive technologies, and field recording to create unique interfaces for exploring both rural and urban sound environments. His work invites users to listen in new ways, challenging them to rethink the role of sound in their daily lives. He is a founding member of several media arts organizations, and has served on the board for both the Canadian Association for Sound Ecology and the World Forum for Acoustic Ecology. Eric regularly collaborates with other artists and academics, enabling him to share his work around the world.