Research

Research is the backbone of IOTA. 

We support creative, data-driven, research projects across the disciplines of art, science, performance, technology, and creative writing. 

Bodies in Movement

Research, Residency 2023

IOTA Institute is embarking on a new creative research stream into the interventionist quality of bodies in movement through familiar expressions of dance and performance art. “Interventionist” refers to the performance methods artists use inside and outside the institution of dance, to disrupt and expose existing expectations around embodied movement. We consider small acts such

Black text on white background with blurry colourful dots in lime green, bright purple, orange, red, magenta, navy, and forest green. The largest black heading reads “surges” in a bold rounded font with jagged edges. Smaller text reads, “Carrie Allison / Jordan Bennett / Amanda Dawn Christie / Séamus Gallagher / Ruth Marsh / Lou Sheppard / Jennifer Willet.” In the top right corner is the IOTA logo, in the bottom left corner are small black logos for Arts Nova Scotia, Canada Council for the Arts, and VUCAVU, and in the bottom right corner it says, “surges.art”

Surges

Web-based Project January 24 - June 20 2023

Surges is an online ecosystem of seven virtual environments presented by IOTA Institute in partnership with VUCAVU. This project invites artists to design online exhibition spaces with technical support, to create experiences for audiences beyond linear visual aesthetics. Artworks explore vibrational haptics, interactive instruments, 360 video, and augmented reality to create multisensory online experiences and

A close up photo of a bubble-shaped glass jar filled with murky green liquid, which is attached to a white wall. The wall is blurry, and covered in colourful paper cutouts.

Jennifer Willet: When Microbes Dream at i3S (Porto, Portugal)

Arts Event 12 January - 1 February 2023

IOTA Institute is pleased to be touring manager for When Microbes Dream, a solo exhibition by Canadian bioartist Jennifer Willet, which opens at its third venue, i3S in Porto, Portugal on 12 January 2023. When Microbes Dream premiered at Kapelica Gallery (Ljubljana, Slovenia) in Oct 2021, travelled to Ectopia (Lisbon, Portugal) in Sept 2022, and

a banner of eight event posters, each showing a headshot of an artist or curator with a dramatic turquoise & deep purple filter. Not all text is listed in this image description, but each poster is for a Virtual Bio Art Kitchen Hangout hosted by IOTA Institute & INCUBATOR Art Lab

IOTA Bio Art Kitchen Series – 2020-2022

Arts Event, Research 2020-2021

60-minute virtual hangouts focused on knowledge-sharing and engaging bio art enthusiasts with bio art actions you can do in your own homes.

Pink gradient background overlaid with 3 logos for Canada Council for the Arts, IOTA Institute, RAH2050, and the text "IMMERSIVE INFINITE / Art/Sci Works in Progress / Nocturne / The Sanctuary / 100 Ochterloney St, Dartmouth / Saturday 15 Oct 2022 / 8pm - midnight

Immersive Infinite

October 15, 2022

The Sanctuary (100 Ochterloney St., Dartmouth, NS)Saturday 15 October 2022 8pm – midnight Immersive Infinite IOTA Institute & Reimagining Atlantic Harbours for 2050 present Immersive Infinite, a tradeshow of work-in-progress immersive installations that explore water sovereignty. Artists, scientists, technicians and curators have come together to design immersive art prototypes to test in this public showcase.

An art installation in a dark art gallery. A table is surrounded by artificial flowers, small plastic birds and animals, dishes, lab materials, and a microscope. In the foreground of the image is the head of a life-sized plastic deer painted turquoise.

Jennifer Willet: When Microbes Dream at Ectopia (Lisbon, Portugal)

Arts Event September 11, 2022

IOTA Institute is pleased to be touring manager for When Microbes Dream, a solo exhibition by Canadian bioartist Jennifer Willet, which opens at Ectopia in Lisbon, Portugal on 11 September 2022. When Microbes Dream premiered at Kapelica Gallery (Ljubljana, Slovenia) in Oct 2021, and continues on its European tour. This exhibition coincides with FEMeeting, an

Bodies in Movement – 2022

Arts Event, Micro-event, Research, Residency 2020-2021

IOTA Institute is embarking on a new creative research stream into the interventionist quality of bodies in movement through familiar expressions of dance and performance art. Home Economics Art Collective is the first project in this research stream, with a performance of their work "Home Ex".

IOTA Bio Art Series – 2019

Micro-event, Research 2018-2019

IOTA is hosting a series of FREE public events and installations featuring Bio Art in Halifax, NS.

CyberHive

Residency May - October 2018

IOTA: ARC presents the dome after dark for a 15-min stop-motion, sound and video piece by local artist Ruth Marsh featuring a 360 immersive environment which conjures a technologically altered, large-scale beehive.

BIOTA2018 Prospective Futures: The Aurelia Project

Residency May- December 2018

Prospective Futures: The Aurelia Project (co-curated by ethnology curator Roger Lewis) centers around healing and recovery of highly contaminated legacy gold mine tailing sites across Nova Scotia.

Six Questions

IOTA conducts interviews with project participants. Click through interviews to read artists, writers, curators, and other participants discuss their research and practice.
Read the Interviews