Imagine you are in an art gallery but all the lights are turned off. You are immersed in lights and sound, absorbing different aspects of the audio-visual gallery. That is the best way to describe Atmospheric Studies II: Singularity.
The one-hour light and sound show is the second in the Atmospheric Studies series that began last March. This year more shows are lined up, with two to three shows a day from Jan. 17 to Jan. 21. On Jan. 17 and Jan. 18, the shows will be held at New Vision United Church while the Jan. 19 to Jan. 21 shows will be held at the Main Event Space of the Cotton Factory.
Sheridan College alumni Matt Cummer, Nick Grimshaw and Bea Macapagal, alongside their respective companies, Black Lake, Walker/Grimshaw and Camp 905, are the architects of the installation.
Cummer, who works in stage visuals, and Grimshaw, a composer, collaborated to create the project last year. After attending last year’s show, Macapagal reached out to the duo and became involved in this year’s logistics and visual planning.
Cummer took inspiration from the Day for Night Festival in Houston, TX. The festival, which takes place in an old industrial postal sorting facility, has digital installations spread throughout the space that participants can check out. Cummer was also inspired by the work he does in stage visuals.
“[W]henever you go to see a concert you have all these huge lighting fixtures on stage and that’s the context you see it in and it's just complimenting the band but… I always had an interest in taking that out of context and using it in a totally different way and then… marrying it with audio and making it kind of more come to life as its own thing rather than just complimenting something else,” explained Cummer.
From this desire to make lights and sound come to life comes the name Atmospheric Studies. The project is creating its own contained atmosphere for attendees throughout the duration of the one-hour show.
The other part of the name, Singularity, refers to a black hole, a feature of the storyline being woven throughout the show. The lights will be arranged in a circular fashion and take attendees through the creation of fusion that goes out of control and creates a black hole.
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This abstract plotline is a departure from last year’s project which was a more straightforward display. Introducing a story to the show is one of the ways in which Atmospheric Studies has grown from last year, in addition to introducing a new venue in the New Vision United Church and putting on more shows. The best aspects of the first installation will be preserved, such as the live responsiveness of the light to the music.
“One aspect of the show is that we take every little audio cue live that [Grimshaw is] playing and we input it into the visual system... [which] drives lights to do things right at that moment as well …[W]e try to make it very organic and feel like this is more special…[T]his isn't something you're ever going to experience again which is a once in a lifetime sort of thing,” explained Cummer.
Putting on the installation has been a learning experience for Cummer. As a film school graduate, he didn’t have experience in production design, lighting design or lighting operation. However, he has put his skills from his film background into good use for the design of this project. Last year’s project brought on some stress and hiccups but it was met with a positive response which ultimately led to the led to the continuation of the Atmospheric Studies.
If all goes well with this series of shows, Cummer would love to have a third part of the series. He would also love to expand the concept to be more music-oriented, perhaps with musical acts. No matter what the future holds, this installation is sure to take attendees into another world.
Atmospheric Studies II: Singularity will take place from Jan. 17 to Jan. 21 and tickets can be purchased on eventbrite for $10 or at the door for $15.
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I’ve lived in Hamilton for a few years now and while I appreciate the city, I still occasionally miss living in the greater Toronto area. One of the things I miss most is Hakka food, a staple in GTA strip malls.
While Hakka food is the cuisine of the Hakka people, chances are if you’re eating Hakka food in the GTA, you’re probably eating the South Asian take on it. A cuisine unto itself, Indian Hakka food was created when Hakka communities immigrated to India, making it more of a Chinese-Indian fusion.
If you’ve got the hankering and you’re in Hamilton this weekend, I would strongly recommend trying Hamilton Hakka, a halal Indian-Chinese joint right at the corner of Hess Street South and York Boulevard.
Hamilton Hakka offers a great meal for an even better price.
You’ve got a few options. Either take the 5, 51 or 1 bus from Sterling Street and Forsyth Avenue heading east, or take the 5 or 10 heading east from Main Street West and Emerson Street. Either way, stop at Main Street West and Queen Street North, and then continue down Main Street West until you hit Hess Street South. Head north on Hess Street South until you hit York Boulevard, and it should be on your left.
Hamilton Hakka is a great place to try lots of different foods without breaking the bank, with all of the dishes costing less than $10. I would highly recommend splitting a few dishes with a few other people so you can try a range of their options.
My friend and I split the keema samosas, a plate of noodles, chilli paneer, two servings of naan and rice pudding, which cost us about $12 each, with leftovers. The real challenge was choosing what to get; everything sounded delicious, with tons of beef, chicken, fish or vegetarian options available.
This is the type of place to go to with a lot of friends, because you have to try everything. In addition to the Hakka dishes, Hamilton Hakka also serves more typical South Asian dishes such as the classic butter chicken and some underrated vegetarian options, like baigan bharta (roasted eggplant) and aloo gobi (curried potato and cauliflower).
The keema samosa, a fried pastry stuffed with ground lamb, was absolutely perfect, with a perfect crisp and balance of spices. They also serve it with a fantastic mint-cilantro chutney, which was freshly made and a perfect complement to the samosa.
You can’t go wrong with any of their rice dishes; if you’d like something with a Hakka influence, opt for their fried rice dishes. If you’d like something more traditionally South Asian, try any of their biryanis.
When it comes to mains, it’s really up to what protein you’re in the mood for. The chilli paneer was fantastic and the beef in the noodle dish we ordered was cooked to perfection.
Moving to a new city can be challenging but one of the easiest ways to feel more at home is by having a familiar meal for dinner. As I sat in the booth with my friend, I was brought back to all those warm memories I had growing up eating Hakka food with my family.
Hakka Hamilton is also great for anyone with dietary restrictions, given their range of dishes. While I cannot confirm if they offer vegan food, they do have lots of options for those who eat halal, vegetarian, pescatarian, gluten-free and other similar restrictions.
But even if you don’t have a personal connection to the food, Hamilton Hakka absolutely delivers on great food. You can tell how much love is put into every dish and how much work is put into keeping this little place running.
So the next time you head to Hess Street, give Hamilton Hakka a try.
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