Age of Union Alliance, a non-profit environmental organization led by Emmy award-winning executive producer, global environmentalist, and Lightspeed Commerce Inc. CEO Dax Dasilva, is thrilled to bring The Black Hole Experience (BHX) to the annual Lumen Festival of light, art and technology, in collaboration with the City of Waterloo and the University of Waterloo. As one of 30+ installations during the festival, this immersive exhibition, crafted by multidisciplinary artist Kelly Nunes, is set to ignite the next generation of changemakers and foster a collective consciousness. Debuting for the first time in Waterloo, BHX will be open for the public to attend from Saturday, September 21 to Friday, September 27 at 50 Young St. in Waterloo Park.
What is the Black Hole Experience?
Housed in a 53′ double expandable trailer, the Black Hole Experience hosts an impressive 1000 sq.ft. of interior spaces with an LED tunnel leading to the black hole projection chamber where visitors sit enveloped from all angles by celestial and black hole phenomena. There are two antichamber rooms for waiting and exiting with information about the experience and Age of Union.
The inspiration for the BHX concept began when Dasilva commissioned Nunes to create a “Black Hole Room” for Dasilva’s Montréal home. The Black Hole Room is inspired by the Spirituality pillar of Dasilva’s book Age of Union, which explores the meaning of spirituality and how it can connect us to our greater purpose in a modern world by seeking light in the darkness, exchanging fear for curiosity, and finding the potential for growth and positive change in the unknown. BHX reminds each person who lives the experience about individual spirituality. To stop, reset and breathe. To feel wellbeing, awe and wonder.
- WHAT: The Black Hole Experience, at Lumen; an annual, free for all ages festival that is open to the public and run by the City of Waterloo’s Arts and Creatives Industries team (Create Waterloo). The event features the work of artists as they explore the interplay of light, art, and technology in installations located throughout uptown Waterloo.
- WHERE: 50 Young St, Waterloo Park, Waterloo, ON, Canada, N2L 2Z4
- WHEN: Saturday, September 21 to Friday, September 27, 2024
- Saturday, September 21: 6pm to 11pm
- September 22 – 27: 12pm to 6pm
“I’m deeply honored to bring the Black Hole Experience to Lumen in collaboration with University of Waterloo for their extraordinary celebration of creativity and innovation,” shares Dax Dasilva. “Partnering with both teams has been a privilege, and I’m grateful for their shared vision of exploring the intersection of art, technology, and environmental consciousness. Together we hope to inspire individuals to reflect on their role in safeguarding our Earth through this immersive journey.”
About Age of Union Alliance
Age of Union is a non-profit environmental alliance that supports and makes visible a global community of changemakers working on the ground to protect the planet’s threatened species and ecosystems. Launched in October 2021 by tech leader and environmental activist Dax Dasilva in Montreal, Canada, Age of Union seeks to ignite a flame within every person through conservation efforts that solve critical environmental challenges around the world and inspire high-impact change by showing the positive impact that every individual can make. Age of Union is also actively involved in environmental documentary filmmaking.
The organization has produced impactful short and feature documentaries that delve into the stories of dedicated changemakers. One such production, “Wildcat,” earned acclaim as the “Outstanding Nature Documentary of 2023” at the prestigious 44th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards.
