Inspired by the hybridity of practice displayed in The Centre Cannot Hold, artists working with or between different psychological, artistic, physical and ethnocultural perspectives are called upon to develop and test new dramaturgical ideas in laboratories that involve interactive, immersive and other technological devices (eg. vibration, immersive sound, volumetric video, motion triggering).
Together, artists and researchers unite around the idea that atypical physical and neurological experiences create unique perceptions of the world and art. With creative works-in-progress as the basis of exploration, they examine such topics as:
- How can technology refocus marginal perspectives in dramaturgy?
- What creative opportunities or challenges does technology offer artists?
- What new dramaturgies might emerge?
- What sensory experiences can technology communicate to audiences?
- What is shared between artists as physical and emotional experiences?
- What are the relational aspects of their experience?
Introducing La machine des sens
We’re thrilled to announce the newest project, La machine des sens (The Sensory Machine), an immersive and interactive theatre experience like no other. The second phase of the project alt[d] Alternative Dramaturgies : Marginality, Senses and Technology, this ambitious and innovative work will take audiences on a multi-sensory, site-specific journey through a warehouse transformed into a landscape of artistic exploration.
What is La machine des sens?
At its heart, this project is about embracing hybridity—of identity, experience, and expression. Five remarkable artists will each present a short work-in-progress, ranging from 10 to 20 minutes, inspired by their unique identities and perspectives. These include:
- Gaëtane Cummings – CripArt multidisciplinary artist
- Connor Yuzwenko-Martin – Deaf creator
- Art Babayants – Queer tango choreographer
- Kassel – Playwright living with Parkinson’s Disease (PD)
Each artist’s piece will form an immersive “station”, which will be dispersed across multiple floors of a warehouse. Audience members will move through the different spaces, guided by their senses—sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste—and supported by cutting-edge multimedia technologies such as binaural audio, volumetric video, vibration, and piezo sensors. These elements will amplify the sensory experiences, weaving the artists’ individual works into a unified and unforgettable theatrical journey.
The Creation Process
The first phase of La machine des sens is all about research, development, and experimentation. Over the fall and winter of 2024-25, the artists will independently develop material for their stations, blending their creative visions with new technologies. Meanwhile, dramaturges Marie Ayotte and Andrée-Anne Giguère will design an immersive performance score for the transitional spaces connecting the stations. By integrating sensory elements, director Ricard Soler Mallol create seamless, sensory-driven transitions that enhance the physical and emotional journey.
Where We’re Headed
This phase of the project culminates in a two-week residency at Eastern Bloc in May 2025. There, the team will refine the sensory and technological dramaturgy, exchange ideas, and prototype the work during a 3-day presentation in a warehouse venue TBD. A full-day conference will follow the work-in-progress presentations, offering an opportunity for dialogue and reflection with an invited audience. This invaluable feedback will guide the project’s further development toward a full production in 2025-26.
Why It Matters
La machine des sens is more than a theatre project—it’s an exploration of how we connect through our senses and an invitation to experience art in profoundly personal and interconnected ways. It’s also a celebration of artists whose identities and lived experiences challenge conventional narratives, enriching the arts landscape with perspectives that deserve to be seen, heard, and felt. Stay tuned for updates as we continue building La machine des sens.
TEAM
Marie Ayotte (Théâtre Déchaînés) – Dramaturgy
André-Anne Guiguère (Théâtre Déchaînés) – Dramaturgy
Peter Farbridge (Postmarginal) – Artistic Director
Crystal Chan – Artistic Producer
Richard Soler Mallol – Director
Naila Kuhlmann (McGill) – Documentation
Nicolas Berzi (Scènes interactives technologiques – SIT) – Technological Consultant
Jean-François Boisvenue – Technological Consultant
Armando Menicacci (SIT) – Technological Consultant
PROJECT HISTORY
The first edition of alt[d took place between August 2023 and February 2024.
Phase I: Kick-off meeting at Eastern Bloc 21-25 August 2023
The project was launched in August 2023 with a 4-day workshop held at Eastern Bloc. From 25 to 29 August 2023, alt[d partners, researchers and artists came together to present their artistic visions and/or research topics. Together, they defined the beginnings of a working methodology based on the exploration of vibration, video tracking and 3D sound technologies. At a public presentation on Friday August 29th, the audience was invited to listen to the aims of the project and its relationship with the artists’ marginality.
Phase II: Lab COHDS October 23-27, 2023
alt[d made its first practical explorations during a five-day laboratory organized at the Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling at Concordia University from 23 to 27 October 2023. Artists and researchers came together for five days of practical exploration of technologies and their use in dramaturgical creation. The aim of the lab was to understand the technological needs of artists and how best to use the technologies in the artists’ respective dramaturgies. Photos and video by Helena Vallès Escolà.
Phase III: Lab2M – From 12 to 24 February 2024
Work continued in February 2024 with two weeks of exploration at Lab2M, Théâtre Les2mondes. We met in the space for practical explorations with our dramaturgical material to propose drafts of our scenes. A public presentation of the artists’ work and a round-table discussion took place on Friday 23 February at Lab2M, with a hybrid online broadcast.
Here is a link to the recording of the entire Lab2M presentation (2 hours)
Listen to the audio of the roundtable only with the artists in French (45 minutes):
The Participants
David Bobier, Vibration Artist & Researcher (VibraFusion Lab)
Romane Bocquet, Technical Director
Jean-François Boisvenue, Artist
Joy Boissière, Technology Assistant
Audrey-Anne Bouchard, Artist
Vytautas Jr. Bucionis, Musician
Peter Farbridge, Artist/Postmarginal Coordinator
Kagan Goh, Artist
Florian Grond, Sound Researcher (E2IAN)
Vik Hovanisian, Performer, Dramaturgical Consultant
Malte Leander, Sound Designer
Keven Lee, Facilitator/Moderator of presentation
Armando Menicacci, Isadora and Video Consultant
Nicolas Berzi, Multimedia Dramaturgy Consultant
Shrina Patel, Performer
Melissa Park, Researcher (E2IAN)
Jim Ruxton, Technical Support Vibration (VibraFusion Lab)
Mélanie Stuckey, Researcher (CRITAC)
Victor Tamarit, Documentary Video Editor
Helena Vallès, Photographer & Documentation Coordinator
Artist Bios
Audrey-Anne Bouchard is a director and lighting designer who lives with a visual disability. She creates multi-sensory, immersive shows for audiences with and without sight.
Jean-François Boisvenue is a multidisciplinary artist who explores facets of his neurological uniqueness, such as synesthesia, in his work.
Peter Farbridge is an artist and creator interested in art inspired by the experiences and practices of so-called marginal artists.
Kagan Goh is a Vancouver-based multidisciplinary artist: published author, spoken word poet, screenwriter, performer, mental health advocate and activist.
Researcher Bios
Nicolas Berzi (Collaborator | Researcher | SIT) is a researcher-creator in the field of performing arts and interdisciplinarity, director, author, playwright, audiovisual designer and producer. For over fifteen years, Nicolas has been developing hybrid and technological stage designs. Nicolas will be working with the group as dramaturge during the workshop phase.
David Bobier (Collaborator| Researcher | VibrafusionLab is a media artist, educator, arts administrator and curator. He is the founder, director and curator of VibraFusionLab in London, Ontario, a public arts-based studio that investigates multi-sensory artistic modalities in the creation and presentation of art by and for people of all abilities. David will demonstrate the potential of haptic devices in the intersection of sound and vibration in performance.
Florian Grond (Collaborator | Researcher | E2IAN)is an associate professor at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, a media artist and sound interaction designer. His research focuses on participatory design in the context of disability, the arts, immersive media and assistive technologies. Florian will introduce the group to binaural and immersive technologies.
Armando Menicacci (Collaborator | Researcher | SIT), director of research and development at Scènes interactives technologiques, is a researcher, artist and teacher. His work takes the form of visual, performative and editorial productions that revolve around the relationship between the arts, expressive physicality and technology. Armando will introduce the team to telepresence and video mapping technologies.
Melissa Park (Collaborator| Researcher | E2IAN) is an associate professor at McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine, with a background in art history, occupational science/therapy, medical anthropology and psychology. With Florian Grond, she will explore the impact of technologies on artists and their creative work.
The Partners
The project has been made possible by a partnership between Postmarginal, les Scènes interactives technologiques and VibraFusionLab, and is financed by Conseil des arts de Montréal, the Canada Council and the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec. Associated research partners include Centre for Circus Arts Research and Knowledge Transfer (CRITAC) and E2IAN (Tracing Ephemeral Experiences, Immersive Technologies/Techniques Aesthetics and Neurodiversity), Eastern Bloc, and Kokoro Dance (KW Studios).
