This weekend in Halifax, folks who take evening walks around the city will be treated to art installations on streets, on building walls, and in lobbies, galleries, and local businesses. The city is set for its annual transformation of light, colour, and sound for the 17th annual Nocturne: Art at Night Festival.
Dalhousie talents will take these diverse stages with various projects. Among the highlights is Beneath the Surface, an installation showcasing the bright community in the depths of Halifax Harbour with underwater video captured using a remote-operated vehicle. The festival will also feature installations titled Black to the Roots, Shape, Light, & Material, Sonic Visions, and G.L.A.M. Bats.
Nocturne itself has a full schedule from October 17-20, with Dal-connected installations below taking place on Saturday, October 19 between 6 p.m. and midnight.
Worried about parking? Join a Nocturne group bike ride! The Dalhousie route begins at Alumni Crescent. Learn more.
Halifax Harbour: Beneath the Surface
By Melanie Zurba
Halifax Harbour: Beneath the Surface is a projection project that invites viewers to explore the hidden world beneath the waves of the Halifax Harbour.
This site-specific installation, located at the waterfront pergola (by the Discovery Centre), combines watercolor portraits of marine life with real underwater footage, creating a vibrant display that reflects the intricate community of life beneath the surface and its connection to human activities above.
"I hope this work encourages people to contemplate the underwater life and the impacts of marine debris associated with our close proximity to the water community,” says lead artist Melanie Zurba.
Dr. Zurba is an associate professor in the School for Resource and Environmental Studies and runs Dalhousie’s Community Engaged CoLab.
Related reading: Meet Melanie Zurba, social scientist
“The piece reflects on how the Halifax, Dartmouth, and Bedford communities wrap around the harbor, highlighting that most people on land only see life existing at the thin surface layer of the water; it centers on the experiences of the aquatic community and its encounters with human-introduced items originating from above the surface,” says Dr. Zurba.
Learn more about this installation.
Shape/Light/Material
By Dal School of Architecture students
Shape, Light, & Material is an architectural installation reshaping the night into a vibrant exploration of shapes and textures. Located in the yard of the Medjuck Building on Spring Garden Road, the installation blurs the boundaries between art and architecture by making use of adaptive scaffolding inviting visitors to experience a microcosm of architectural principles. As participants navigate this dynamic space, they are invited to consider the relationship between architecture, community, and sensory experiences.
Learn more about this installation.
Black to the Roots
By Black Artist Initiative, Dal Art Gallery and Community Garden Kjipuktuk
Black to the Roots is a collaborative art installation featuring six emerging Black artists. The site-specific exhibition at the Dal Butterfly Garden outside the Henry Hicks building explores the intricate relationships between nature, agriculture, ancestry, and community. Through their work, the artists reflect on generational traditions and emotional nourishment, encouraging discussion and collaboration within a nurturing environment. The event will include a drop-in artist talk and tour, inviting viewers to engage with the themes of cultural continuity and their connection to the natural world.
Learn more about this installation.
Sonic Visions
By the Dal Fountain School of Performing Arts composition students, faculty and guests
Sonic Visions will showcase a unique blend of newly created stereo electroacoustic compositions paired with captivating visualizations, video, and film. This immersive experience unfolds over six hours in room 406 of the Dalhousie Arts Centre – but don’t worry, concertgoers have the flexibility to come and go and explore at their own pace! Each composition is designed to engage the senses, inviting audiences to reflect and connect with the evolving soundscapes and visual narratives.
Learn more about this installation.
G.L.A.M. Bats
By Graeme Patterson, Mitchell Wiebe and special guests and Dal Art Gallery
Having captivated audiences across the country, the G.L.A.M. Bats and friends will deliver a performance that is truly one-of-a-kind, inviting attendees to engage in a lively atmosphere filled with creativity and spontaneity.
Hosted by Graeme Patterson and Mitchell Wiebe, with special guests, this installation is intricately connected to Patterson’s current exhibition at the Dalhousie Art Gallery, Strange Birds, an exhibition that explores the ecological consequences of a warming planet through a captivating mix of sculpture, scale models, robotics, virtual reality, music, projected video, and stop-motion animation.
The drop-in performance at the Dal Art Gallery promises to blend the playful elements of burlesque with the theatricality of a musical, all set within a gallery context where rock ballads can thrive.