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Announcing “Icedrops” at Winterlude 2013

Filed Under: News by admin
Jan 28, 2013

InteractiveArts, SODI Designs and SubZeroArts are proud to present “Icedrops” — an interactive light installation that will be on display at Ottawa’s Winterlude 2013 as part of the IllumiNation: Outdoor Light Art Gallery February 1 – 18.

“Icedrops” features a series of large suspended sculptures that instil a clean opaque architectural beauty during the day, and become bioluminescent light-art during the night. SubZeroArts assisted with the light design for the sculptures, and we also provided a soundtrack taken from our installation “LightSoundPlay!“, which we presented at Club Saw in September 2012 as part of Nuit Blanche Ottawa.

We’re very excited to be able to collaborate on “Icedrops” with InteractiveArts and SODI Designs at Winterlude 2013, and we’re thrilled to be able to share this new work with all of our friends in Ottawa!

Follow SubZeroArts on Twitter or like us on Facebook to keep updated with information about “Icedrops”, “The Sound is Watching You”, and upcoming SubZeroArts projects!

 

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And we’re live!

Filed Under: News by admin
Jan 18, 2013

SubZeroArts is thrilled to announce that our latest installation “The Sound is Watching You” is now open!  Presented as part of New Adventures in Sound Arts’ annual Art’s Birthday Celebration for 2013 in the NAISA Space at Artscape Wychwood Barns in Toronto, Ontario, “The Sound is Watching You” runs from January 18 to February 18, 2013.

RSVP to “The Sound is Watching You” on Facebook!

“The Sound is Watching You” is a surround-sound and visual experience that responds to audience participation, where audience movement is transformed into a symphony of constantly morphing and re-generating music and light. In keeping with SubZeroArts’ ideal of audience interaction, “The Sound is Watching You” is a multimedia experience that’s fun and engaging for audience members of all ages.

“The Sound is Watching You” is open for visiting on the following dates;

Sun January 20 – 12-5 pm
Friday January 25 – 12-3 pm
Friday February 1 – 12-3 pm
Saturday February 2 – 10-3 pm
Friday February 8 – 12-3 pm
Saturday February 9 – 10-3 pm
Friday February 15 – 12-3 pm
Saturday February 16 – 10-3 pm
Monday February 18 – 1-4 pm

We hope that we’ll see you there!

SubZeroArts is a group of visualists, sound artists, technologists, fabricators and software engineers working in contemporary art and science. Founded by Deane Hughes and Rik MacLean, their goal is to create installations that allow visitors to interact with the performance and contribute to their own artistic expressions. Formed in 2009, SubZeroArts has presented a variety of works at such prestigious events as the Burning Man Festival (Nevada, 2011), Nuit Blanche Toronto (2011), Come Up to My Room (Toronto, 2012) and Nuit Blanche Ottawa (2012).

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Everything starts tomorrow…

Filed Under: News by admin
Jan 17, 2013

We’re almost ready to hit the start button. Tomorrow at noon “The Sound is Watching You” begins it’s month long residency at the NAISA Space at Artscape Wychwood Barns, and to say that we’re totally excited is a major understatement!  We’ve worked really hard to create something very special and we hope that you’ll be able to share it with us. So as the countdown to showtime nears its end, we thought we’d take a few minutes to clarify and reiterate a few things from earlier posts that people have been asking us over the last few days;

1) In keeping with SubZeroArts’ ideal of audience interaction, “The Sound is Watching You” is a multimedia experience that’s fun and engaging for audience members of all ages. It’s suitable for the whole family and we encourage you to bring your kids to experience it if you’d like.

2) “The Sound is Watching You” is being presented in the NAISA Space at Artscape Wychwood Barns, 601 Christie Street, Studio #252, Toronto, Ontario.  Visiting hours for the installation are as follows;

Fri January 18 – 12-3 pm
Sun January 20 – 12-5 pm
Friday January 25 – 12-3 pm
Friday February 1 – 12-3 pm
Saturday February 2 – 10-3 pm
Friday February 8 – 12-3 pm
Saturday February 9 – 10-3 pm
Friday February 15 – 12-3 pm
Saturday February 16 – 10-3 pm
Monday February 18 – 1-4 pm

3) “The Sound is Watching You” is a free installation for you to enjoy! There’s no admission fee so if you’re thinking that bringing your family of eight will empty out your wallet, think again!  You can drop by during visiting hours and there’s no charge to see it!

4) Admittedly some of our regular readers may not have the chance to fly overseas to Toronto to experience “The Sound is Watching You” for themselves.  Rest assured that we’ll do our best to document the installation so you’ll all be able to see what we’re talking about!

So now we do all that last minute night before opening stuff, and then we’re up bright and early to do all the fine tuning that gets done at the eleventh hour.  We hope that we’ll see some of you at the show!

Rik and Deane/SubZeroArts

Add us on Twitter @SubZeroArts or Like us on Facebook to keep up with details about “The Sound is Watching You”!

 

 

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All systems are go…

Filed Under: News by admin
Jan 16, 2013

So.  We are just about ready.  All of the programs are working, visuals are looking fine, and pretty soon we’ll be ready to press the start button.  On Friday January 18th “The Sound is Watching You” goes live at NAISA!

Needless to say, there are about five billion things that we still have to do, but we are on track to have them all done.  Speaking of which, a very important thing for us to do is to confirm what hours the NAISA Space will be open for you to see the show!  Hours are as follows;

Fri January 18 – 12-3 pm
Sun January 20 – 12-5 pm (This is the official Art’s Birthday Celebration and our official opening!)
Friday January 25 – 12-3 pm
Friday February 1 – 12-3 pm
Saturday February 2 – 10-3 pm
Friday February 8 – 12-3 pm
Saturday February 9 – 10-3 pm
Friday February 15 – 12-3 pm
Saturday February 16 – 10-3 pm
Monday February 18 – 1-4 pm

If you come by on Friday January 18th or Sunday January 20th we’ll be at the site to meet with you and chat about the event, so come on by and say hello!  We’ll be in and out on other days as well, but even if we’re not there to visit with, you’ll still be able to enjoy the installation.

While we’re at it, NAISA’s space is located at Artscape Wychwood Barns, 601 Christie Street, Studio #252

See you there!

Rik and Deane/SubZeroArts
Add us on Twitter @SubZeroArts or Like us on Facebook to keep up with details about “The Sound is Watching You”!
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Moving Shadows on the Wall…

Filed Under: News by admin
Jan 15, 2013

During preparations for “The Sound is Watching You” we’ve spent a lot of time figuring out projector throw ratios and sizing staging areas.  We have blisters from frequent tape measure use, and we’re a little concerned that we’re getting grid views burned into our retinas.  But it’s all coming together very nicely, and we’re getting more excited each day to be able to share “The Sound is Watching You” with all of you!

By the way, we’ve found that a number of you would like to help us out with this installation, but you’re not really sure what you can do.  Apparently a number of you would like to help us hang cables, but so far we’ve got all that stuff covered off (thanks for the offers though!).  One thing you can definitely do to help us out is to spread the word about “The Sound is Watching You”!  Tell your friends about us, maybe even suggest that they follow us on Facebook or Twitter.  Perhaps you’d like to add one of our lovely banners to your Facebook page, or your blog, or what have you. Feel free to grab one from the selection below;

Needless to say, the best way to support what we do is to come and experience “The Sound is Watching You” for yourself!

We’d love to see you there!

Rik and Deane/SubZeroArts

 

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Getting to know the space…

Filed Under: News by admin
Jan 14, 2013

Yesterday we anounced that our installation “The Sound is Watching You” would be presented at the NAISA Space as part of their 2013 Art’s Birthday Celebrations.  We’re very excited about this opportunity and judging from the response we’ve received so far, it seems like a number of you are too!  We hope that we’ll see you all at the show when it opens later this week. In addition to making announcements, yesterday was also spent getting to know the space.  There’s a lot of stuff that has to be done before we open the doors, not the least of which is getting to know the space…

Each space has it’s own advantages and disadvantages, and getting to know the space beforehand is a crucial part of preparation.  You need to figure out if you’ve got enough cables, or if you need to get connectors.  You need to measure the distance between electrical outlets and make sure that you have working wifi.  Getting to know the space is when you find out if you need to borrow a ladder or if you’re going to be balancing on rickety tables.  Getting to know the space is really Really REALLY important.  So yesterday we got to know the NAISA Space where we’ll be presenting “The Sound is Watching You”.

And we think it’s a really great Space!

Among other things like measurements and checking wifi and testing connections and locating bathrooms, we spent a fair bit of time hanging cables.  Hanging cables isn’t a colloquialism or art-speak or anything, it’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like, it’s getting up on a ladder and roping cables through lighting grids and looping it around pipes and hiding it behind curtains and making sure that everything connects the way it’s supposed to. After getting to know the space, hanging cables is pretty much the second most important thing involved in the preparation of any installation.

We feel you should know that the third most important step to prepare an installation is to find the nearest coffee shop.  Really.  You need to know where to get coffee.  And sugary treats.  These things are crucial.

So yesterday we did all those things to prepare for our installation. And having done them, we’re pretty confident that we can bring it all together in time to open at the end of the week.  We know the space, we’ve hung the cable, and there’s a Starbucks around the corner within walking distance.  We are officially ready to present “The Sound is Watching You”, and we look forward to seeing you there!

 

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The Sound is Watching You at New Adventures in Sound Arts!

Filed Under: News by admin
Jan 13, 2013

SubZeroArts is thrilled to announce “The Sound is Watching You” as part of New Adventures in Sound Arts’ annual Art’s Birthday Celebration for 2013!  SubZeroArts’ installation “The Sound is Watching You” will be displayed as part of New Adventures in Sound Arts’ annual Art’s Birthday Celebration in the NAISA Space at  Artscape Wychwood Barns in Toronto, Ontario from January 17 to February 18, 2013.  “The Sound is Watching You” is a surround-sound and visual experience that responds to audience participation, where audience movement is transformed into a symphony of constantly morphing and re-generating music and light. In keeping with SubZeroArts’ ideal of audience interaction, “The Sound is Watching You” is a multimedia experience that’s fun and engaging for audience members of all ages.

SubZeroArts is a group of visualists, sound artists, technologists, fabricators and software engineers working in contemporary art and science. Founded by Deane Hughes and Rik MacLean, their goal is to create installations that allow visitors to interact with the performance and contribute to their own artistic expressions.  Formed in 2009, SubZeroArts has presented a variety of works at such prestigious events as the Burning Man Festival (Nevada, 2011), Nuit Blanche Toronto (2011), Come Up to My Room (Toronto, 2012) and Nuit Blanche Ottawa (2012).

New Adventures in Sound Art (NAISA) is a non-profit organization, based in Toronto, that produces performances and installations spanning the entire spectrum of electroacoustic and experimental sound art. Included in its productions are: Deep Wireless, Sound Travels, Arts Birthday and SOUNDplay. The objectives of NAISA are to foster awareness and understanding locally, as well as nationally and internationally, in the cultural vitality of experimental sound art in its myriad forms of expression. This objective will be achieved through the exploration of new sound technologies in conjunction with the creation of cultural events and artifacts.

Art’s Birthday is an annual event which began in 1963 by French artist Robert Filliou to celebrate the presence of art in our lives. It has since been celebrated on January 17 as an annual exchange-art event by a collection of artists and artist organizations around the world. Happy 1,000,050th Birthday, Art!

Visit “The Sound is Watching You” to celebrate Art’s Birthday and explore an evolving world of sound and visuals… all created by you!

Rik and Deane/SubZeroArts
Add us on Twitter @SubZeroArts or Like us on Facebook to keep up with details about “The Sound is Watching You”!
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Photographic Evidence

Filed Under: News by admin
Oct 28, 2012

It’s been a little while since we last posted, so we thought we should check in with you all to say hello. We’ve been very flattered by all of the kind emails and messages we’ve received from you over the last few weeks about LIGHTSOUNDPLAY! and we’ve really appreciated seeing your photos too!   Here are a few of our favorites so far;

Photo by Ashley Fraser, The Ottawa Citizen

Photo by Jackie Dunne

Photo by Billy Logan

We were also very flattered to see LIGHTSOUNDPLAY! mentioned very favorably on Billy Logan’s Blog and on the Shantitea site. Thanks to our new friends Billy and Amanda for your kind words!

If you have any photos/video or posts about LIGHTSOUNDPLAY! we’d love to see them.  You can mail us care of info@subzeroarts.com

So perhaps you’re wondering what SubZeroArts is going to be doing next? Well, we’re currently planning our next move so it’s still a bit early to say, but certainly you’ll be the first to know when we announce it.  In the meantime you may be interested to know that our musical project Kalte will be opening for Steven Severin in London, Ontario on November 9th and Toronto, Ontario on November 10th.  Mr. Severin will be performing his new score to the classic film Vampyr and we’re honoured to be able to share a stage with one of our heroes.

We do hope that you’ll be able to join us at one of the shows or, if you’re not able to make it, we hope that you’ll keep in touch and let us know what you’ve been doing!

Rik and Deane/SubZeroArts

PS While we’re talking about keeping in touch, if you haven’t already why don’t you add us on Twitter @SubZeroArts or Like us on Facebook?  Thx!

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Best wishes for a wonderful Nuit Blanche in Toronto!

Filed Under: News by admin
Sep 29, 2012

So a lot of people have asked us, “Is SubZeroArts going to be doing something for Nuit Blanche Toronto this year?” And we’re afraid the answer is that we won’t be. But rest assured that we have lots of plans for 2013 and we hope that all of our friends in Toronto, Ottawa, and beyond will be able to enjoy them!  So keep in touch, okay?

Despite not having an installation in this year’s Toronto event, we’re still very excited to check out what’s happening around the city, and we encourage you all to do the same. Here are a few of the things we’re looking forward to;

Liquid Cohesion (Commerce Court Central Courtyard & Fountain, 25 King Street West):

We’re always interested to see how artists interpret and distinguish the lines between people and nature, and this unique video installation promises a new perspective that intrigues us.  Plus, y’know, elephants…

Civilization (Megaplex), 2010 by Marco Brambilla (Toronto City Hall Rotunda – 100 Queen Street West)

This display of looped video sounds promising, and appeals to our existential leanings…

Museum of the Rapture (Toronto City Hall underground parking garage, 100 Queen Street West)

Douglas Coupland has designed a unique installation experience that promises to be a fascinating study of how current society interacts and intersects with technology. It sounds pretty awesome!

“Cent une tueries de zombies” (The TIFF Bell Lightbox at 350 King Street West):

Really, who doesn’t love Zombies? Watch 101 Zombie death scenes in the comfort of the TIFF Bell Lightbox. Amidst all the horror you may figure out some survival tips that your predecessors didn’t and be <> much more prepared for the inevitable Zombie apocalypse…

Needless to say, these are just a few of the many pieces being exhibited around the city (you can see some more suggestions on the SubZeroArts tumblr page), and we encourage you to let us know what you’re interested in seeing.  Add us on Twitter (@SubZeroArts) and share your own Nuit Blanche Toronto experience with us!  We look forward to hearing from you!

Best wishes and good luck to all of the artists who are participating in tonight’s event!  Remember to keep hydrated and pace yourselves, it’s gonna be a long and awesome night…

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Thank you Nuit Blanche Ottawa!

Filed Under: News by admin
Sep 25, 2012

Congratulations Ottawa! What an amazing evening of arts and entertainment! SubZeroArts is honoured to have been part of your first Nuit Blanche and we are totally thrilled that so many visitors enjoyed LIGHTSOUNDPLAY!

LIGHTSOUNDPLAY!

We’d like to thank Megan, Lainie and Stefan of the Nuit Blanche team for inviting SubZeroArts to participate in this fantastic event, and Jason, Kathleen and everyone else at SAW Gallery for hosting us.

But most of all, we’d like to thank everybody that came out to take part in LIGHTSOUNDPLAY!, especially all of you that told your friends about us and then came back to show them that we really were as impressive as you said!

We designed LIGHTSOUNDPLAY! to be an environment created by everyone — an interactive experience that was as unique as the people that participated in it — and it was YOU that made it into such an awesome spectacle!

Thank you again. We have big plans and big ideas in store for you for 2013 and we hope that you’ll be there when they’re unveiled! Be sure to keep in touch with SubZeroArts by liking us on Facebook, or by adding us on Twitter, or by following our Tumblr.

All the best,
Rik and Deane of SubZeroArts
http://www.subzeroarts.com

P.S. SubZeroArts is 100% artist-funded, so if you’d like to support LIGHTSOUNDPLAY! with a monetary donation, we would gladly accept any contribution — large or small — with our utmost thanks and gratitude. Visit our donations page to find out more.

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