Ice Follies 2025
February 7th - 21st, 2025THEME: OZHAASHIKWAA (THE ICE IS SLIPPERY)
There is slippery ice; extra care and consideration is needed. Travelling and moving forward is difficult; the conditions are unsteady. The terrain ahead demands resilience and adaptability as the path forward remains uncertain.
Hyperboreal, Ice Shifts/Elevations, 2025
Join us on Trout Lake’s Olmstead Beach, February 15th & 16th, 2025 at 8PM.
Sound and light artists Dermot Wilson and Jason Brock, collectively known as Hyperboreal, will present an immersive audio-visual experience on the ice of Trout Lake for Ice Follies 2025. This hour-long performance will feature synchronized electronic compositions and video projections onto a misty field created by non-toxic smoke machines. Attendees can engage with the performance in two ways: wandering onto the ice with wireless headphones for a personalized experience or observing from the shoreline with audio provided by PA speakers. The project, Ice Shift/Elevations, is specially designed for Ice Follies and also marks the launch of Hyperboreal’s new album, Abyss to Precipice.
Drawing from ambient, minimalist, and experimental traditions, Hyperboreal combines video projection, spoken word, and intricate soundscapes to reflect on the interplay between humanity and the natural world. Their performance incorporates tools such as electronic wind instruments, a Chapman Stick, and analog effects to create a meditative and thought-provoking atmosphere. With a history of performances across Canada, Brazil, and Poland, Hyperboreal continues to push the boundaries of sound and light artistry, connecting audiences with profound reflections on place and environment.
Hyperboreal is the collaborative project of artists Dermot Wilson and Jason Brock, who blend ambient, experimental, and minimalist music with video projections to create immersive audio-visual experiences. For over nine years, Wilson and Brock have explored the relationship between humanity and nature through their performances, incorporating electronic wind instruments, a Chapman Stick, digital and analog effects, and spoken word. Their work evokes meditation and contemplation, drawing audiences into intricate soundscapes and visuals. With performances across Canada, Brazil, and Poland, Hyperboreal continues to push the boundaries of sound and light art, offering profound reflections on place, environment, and the human connection to both.
Artist Bio:
Dermot Wilson, an artist and curator originally from Dublin, Eire, has lived in northern Ontario for nearly two decades and was the inaugural curator of Ice Follies in 2004. Working across digital video, audio, installation, animation, and performance, his art reflects on community and environment. Dermot has showcased his multidisciplinary installations and spoken word performances in galleries, outdoor sites, and artist-run centres across Canada and internationally, including Europe and South America. A founding figure in several arts organizations, such as N2M2L and Paved Arts, Dermot is currently the Executive Director of the Nipissing Region Curatorial Collective and continues to develop media performances with Hyperboreal.
Jason Brock is a Chapman Stick player from North Bay, Ontario, known for his diverse musical performances. A graduate of Canadore College, Jason has attended five international Chapman Stick seminars and has been recognized by top Stick players, including Emmett Chapman. His debut CD, Medicine Stick, features 21 original compositions across multiple genres and has received positive feedback. With a career spanning weddings, concerts, and community events, Jason has earned recognition for his performances, including accolades at the First National Stick Festival.
Social Links:
Dermot Wilson Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/wilsondermot/
Dermot Wilson Website – www.varifux.tv
Jason Brock Website – http://www.jsunbrock.com/
Jason Brock Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/jason.brock.3532