Interactive exhibition InSomnolence shows sleep is more social than it seems
From an artist鈥檚 attempt to tame troubled sleep with AI, to sounds and objects as artifacts of other people鈥檚 dream, to a radio station that transforms the dread of insomnia into curiosity and collective listening, the exhibition by the research collective asks: how does sleep bring us together?
Lack of sleep is often treated as an individual, isolating problem instead of one that requires social attention and care. Amidst endless tools and advice, from sleep apps to sleep hygiene experts, people are often left to fend for themselves when it comes to troubled rest.
Exploring the social aspects that impact sleep, InSomnolence is an interactive exhibition on until July 13 in Montreal put together by local and international artists collaborating with researchers across four Montreal universities.
鈥淭he exhibit examines the everyday experiences of sleep, from the rhythms of productivity and rest, to fatigue and the medica颅lization of sleep, and even the individual experiences of dreams,鈥� says 海角社区 Professor Alanna Thain, who co-led the project with Universit茅 de Montr茅al Professor Aleksandra Kaminska. In some installations, visitors are invited to get cozy and dose off in dreamlike spaces to 鈥渆xperiment with the edges of sleep.鈥�
鈥淥ver the past two years, we have been developing unique and experimental sleep situations through art and research experiments. These installations combine tools and insights from the arts, humanities, and sciences that can enrich our understanding of sleep and the treatment of sleep conditions. They also showcase how sleep is much more social than it might seem 鈥搕hrough media installations, performances, sound, and design鈥攊nviting the public to take their nightly habits of sleep into unexpected situations.
by is on until July 13, 2023, in the Agora Hydro-Quebec at Coeur des sciences, Hexagram-UQAM, at 175 President-Kennedy Ave.
