Databells Experience - General Admission

Databells is an immersive experience featuring a whimsical and eclectic collection of bells, ringing to the beat of the statistics they're connected to.

A bell might be ringing when a star is born in our galaxy, or chiming every time someone is born. In the distance, you hear a bell ringing each time a ship passes through the Suez canal, or an Amazon package is delivered. Maybe you even arrive at a bell which tolls when someone farts in the room. Databells is a visualization of human experience, through the lens of the statistics that make up our daily lives, or deepest fears, and even things that span far beyond our little blue planet.

Databells invites you to journey down a winding path of illuminated bells, all arranged in an unforgettable and experiential statistical symphony.

About the 'Databells Experience'

This special exhibition experience is the first public showcasing of the Databells art installation by Rich Loen. Starting from Thursday, September 25th, and running until Friday October 17th, the Databells Experience is almost one full month of free-admission access to this one-of-a-kind art installation. As a visitor, you will be able to immerse yourself in the sensorial experience of the Databells exhibition, taking your time to see and hear the full exhibit.

According to Rich:

“The interesting thing about bells, and building a project around them, is that bells are multicultural. There are bells everywhere. There are bells on every continent and every country and city, and in everyone's life. Bells tell you when to go to the next class. Bells tell you when someone got married or someone died. Bells will tell you that an attack is coming or a fire is occurring. Bells have these built-in emotions to them—happiness and sadness, and alarm and fear. That's the incredible platform that this project is built on.

Bells have a universality and they have emotions, and that ties perfectly into bringing in the data sources that also have emotions.

There's a discoverability to Databells: when you walk up and you look at a bell, the first thing you see is a bell, and you see a mechanism for ringing it. Then you hear it ringing, and you might ask yourself, “why”? You may then notice a little sign: it says ‘People born in Canada’. And then you see all the other bells have a little sign as well, and you start to realize there's a whole other level of depth to this installation. Now you may want to go around and see, asking yourself “why is that bell over there ringing like crazy”? “Why is that bell over there just waiting”? “What is it going to ring for”? It is this curiosity that will compel you to explore the exhibit more and more.”

Meet the Artist

Rich Loen is an Ottawa-based artist, and owner of the Salon Des Bananes gallery and adjoining Loen.Design studio. He creates all of his large-scale installation works inspired by industrial design, technology, and data.

loen.art

This event is wheelchair accessible. The Salon Des Bananes gallery is connected to the Loen.Design Studio, and they both share the same entrance. The event is all on one floor, at ground level, and there are no elevations. The front entrance has a small lip. Please note that the bathrooms are not wheelchair accessible.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Salon Des Bananes, 2207 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Canada