Thousands of community members enjoy public art at Kiyām Community Park

It was incredible to witness the power of public art as thousands of community members came together at Kiyām Community Park for igNIGHT! This year’s theme, Spectrum Odyssey, a collective journey of art, light and technology, presented an immersive exhibition where artists harnessed the captivating power of light to evoke a deeper understanding of transportation as a means of movement and a symbol of human connection, exploration and progress.

A huge thank you to the presenting artists for making this year’s exhibition an unforgettable experience and to all performers, vendors, train conductor and everyone else who made this unique experience possible.

We hope you had a fantastic time and made lasting memories. Learn more about the artists below and connect with them online.

2023 Curatorial Theme

Spectrum Odyssey

A Collective Journey of Art, Light & Technology.

Spectrum Odyssey is an immersive exhibition where artists harness the captivating power of light to evoke a deeper understanding of transportation as a means of movement and a symbol of human connection, exploration, and progress. Through the fusion of art and technology, these collections of luminous installations seek to inspire viewers to reflect on the dynamic relationship between transportation and the human experience.

The TUNNEL by B!G ART

Some of B!G ART’s most imaginative adventures start with a door, or portal, or gate. Passing through these structures indicates the start of a journey beyond the known world into something transformative.

The TUNNEL is a series of strange, cosmic structures creating a one-way trip to another side using light and sound. “Pilots” use an interactive console to manipulate the TUNNEL creating an infinite number of patterns of light and sound guiding your path through the structures.

The artwork uses over 150 LED bars, pixel-mapped to create a vortex of light pulling you through the structures, with over 8,000 individual LEDs!

The DOOR(S) by B!G ART

The DOOR(S) is a BIG ART classic and fan-favorite, regardless of age. Each door contains a set of animations in a particular theme, direct from the creative minds of our animators. No two doors are ever the same with over 200 (and growing) unique videos, so you’ll have to open them all to find out what…is where.

About B!G ART

B!G ART is built for one purpose – make more public art. They design, build and promote interactive, and immersive, works of wonder so they can inspire the next. From fire-shooting portals to code-talking cubes from another dimension, they live for interactive and immersive art installations.

Advancements in technology have allowed B!G ART to realize creative dreams they never thought possible, and in that spirit, they embrace the technology of yesterday, today, and tomorrow to create large-scale, tour-ready, turnkey installations and experiences.

B!G ART is passionate about what they do and are committed to delivering inspiring encounters. Whether you choose something from their current catalogue, or connect with them for a custom commission, they pride themselves on delivering creative, robust, safe, and reliable installations and experiences.

Through Our Mind's Eye by Northern Crones

The Northern Crones collective projection show mirrors a stream of consciousness: a series of images and short animations that overlap, interact, and flow in and out of each other. These projected images form a story whose explicit meaning is open to audience interpretation yet morphs through the mind's eye with audience interaction.

All images and animations are original artworks created by The Northern Crones artists.

About Northern Crones

The Northern Crones are five visual artists from Canada’s coasts and interior spaces, each of whom have made their homes in Nistawâyâw, Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo. They are inspired by natural elements, their Elders, new and old stories, and visions of the world. Collectively they have 150 years of experience creating and exhibiting art, and 270 years of experience as explorers of the world both physically and through their minds.

Individual Portfolios:

Barbara Madden: BarbaraMadden.com

Carmen Wells: Ponderosa Arts

Liana Wheeldon: LianaWheeldon.com

Sharon Heading: Sharon Heading Living

Treasure Cooper: Treasured Art Studios

Luay Eljamal (Mentor): LuayEljamal.com

Signal by Jordan Shaw

Signal is an interactive light sculpture, merging analogue and digital facets. Through an anamorphic lens, it encourages visitors to ponder the relationships between our tangible and digital realities, particularly the data we produce and share. This data interplay is symbolized when a certain 'preferred perspective' is discovered and unveils a sine wave, emblematic of the Electromagnetic Spectrum.

The artwork's lighting, algorithmically shaped from RMWB Open Data and weather APIs, is enriched by visitor interactions. This data captures and translates their presence into numerous light patterns, illustrating the cyclic journey from physical to digital environments.

Inviting public dialogue, Signal delves into concepts about 'transportation' facilitated by the Electromagnetic Spectrum. From ubiquitous technologies like GPS and WIFI to the expansive fibre optic web and emerging fields like XR and VR, these technologies are propelling us into new realms—both physical and virtual.

About Jordan Shaw

Jordan Shaw is an artist and creative technologist raised and is currently based in Toronto, Canada. He grew up in Scarborough and received his MFA from OCAD University's Digital Futures program leading to his thesis being exhibited during Vector Festival at InterAccess. Before that, he completed his undergraduate degrees at Carleton University and Algonquin College, where his final installation was exhibited at ACM SIGGRAPH.

His work is related to exploring the hidden and unseen aspects of technology, the digital environment around us and how we exist within this hybrid world. The manifestation of this work tries to visualize the hidden interactions between people and technology, data collection and the digital systems that are trying to understand the physical world.

Jordan has exhibited internationally in Australia, Canada, Germany, Spain and the United States of America, along with several online exhibitions.

Wheels Will Turn by Dylan Toymaker

Leaves spin in the currents of the air, seasons have turned before us and will turn long after. How we get from one place to another will have an effect on our ability to get anywhere at all. Can we bring a whole living world with us or are we leaving it behind?  However it goes, there’s going to be changes. We could make it fun. 

Path-lighting artwork by Barbara Madden and Ruth Perry.

About Dylan Toymaker

Dylan Toymaker is a light design and installation artist in Edmonton, Alberta. He now works to create a culture with community and event-based art. Placemaking and wayfinding have been a major part of that process, with monumental structures and lantern systems at the core. Toymaker curates art for the Flying Canoe Volant Festival, and designs and builds Lantern installations for a variety of Alberta festivals including the Edmonton Folk Music Festival and the Jasper Dark Sky Festival.

Website: dylantoymaker.net

Tamalero by Fernando Cienfuegos

Tamalero is an audiovisual and performative installation reflective of Mexican culture that focuses on Los Tamaleros (food vendors) who modify tricycles into mobile food stands to sell Tamales (hand-held cornmeal-based steamed pockets packed with cheese or meat in red or green salsa, beans, or sweet fruits). These bicycles are often adorned with local elements like a soccer team's logo or sacred images acting as living religious niches of worship. Faith, trade and peregrination on bicycles are a modern derivative of the need for miracles or expiatory desires. What can be better relief than seeing one's soul in purgatory….in the cleansing process of redemption?  

Visitors to igNIGHT will appreciate the entrepreneurial and peregrinate nature of Tamalero and share its communal experience.

Be sure to bring cash to raise money for the Food Bank as the artist will be giving out tamales for donation each evening of the igNIGHT exhibition!

About Fernando Cienfuegos

Fernando is a multimedia artist whose passion for his Mexican heritage is explored throughout his creative works. After permanently moving to Canada, Fernando’s artistic career changed from creator to instructor and consultant, finding creative technical solutions in video production and interactive installations. By obtaining the bursary from the Alberta Media Arts Alliance, his exploration of personal projects was revived, and once again sought to create tangible conceptualizations.

More recently, Fernando showcased Enlightened Cactus as part of the 2021 igNIGHT exhibition. Fernando holds a master’s degree in Audio Visual Communications.