How can we imagine new forms of collaboration between human, artificial, environmental and collective intelligences?

This question lies at the heart of Symbioses of Intelligences, a vast research-creation project presented at ccdMalvina (Creation and Presentation Center) during the summer of 2026.

Bringing together artists, scientists, researchers and immersive technology specialists, the project transforms the territory of Malvina into a living laboratory where contemporary creation, artificial intelligence, ecology, heritage and a sensitive experience of landscape all meet.

From July 5 to August 23, 2026, visitors will discover the work of artists in residence developing new works inspired by the ecosystems, history and landscapes of Malvina. Through installations, performances, participatory workshops, lectures and public gatherings, Symbioses of Intelligences invites everyone to reflect on the profound transformations redefining our relationship to the living world, to memory and to technology.

The project explores in particular the possibilities offered by generative artificial intelligence, immersive environments and collaborative practices. The artists and researchers gathered at Malvina question both the creative potential of these tools and their ethical, social and environmental implications.

 

 

Among the activities offered:

  • a creative workshop on artificial intelligence led by Guillaume Lévesque (Sporobole), a specialist in digital technologies applied to the arts;
  • a participatory experience with Karen Vanderborght and Emmanuelle Martin, inviting the public to learn a folk dance generated by artificial intelligence;
  • collective creation workshops with artists Royden Mills and Sean Caulfield;
  • public discussions on the relationships between artistic creation, the environment, immersive technologies and artificial intelligence;
  • encounters with artists in residence and presentations of their new works.

 

The project reaches its high point at the Malvina Festival, on August 22 and 23, 2026. Artists, researchers and immersive technology specialists will gather to share their reflections and creations. A major roundtable moderated by anthropologist Isabelle Lemelin will bring together Marek Blottière (SAT), Hela Zahar (Université de l’Ontario français), Sean Caulfield, Royden Mills, Karen Vanderborght, Thom Gossage and Isabelle Van Grimde around the connections between art, artificial intelligence, environment and territory.

By fostering exchange between disciplines, forms of knowledge and forms of intelligence, Symbioses of Intelligences offers a space for reflection and experimentation where art becomes a tool for imagining futures that are more sensitive, more collaborative and more deeply connected to the living world.

Guest Artists

  • Royden Mills (Alberta)
  • Sean Caulfield (Alberta)
  • Karen Vanderborght (Ontario–Quebec)
  • Isabelle Van Grimde, with Emmanuelle Martin and Thom Gossage (Quebec)

Read the artist biographies

Guest Researchers and Experts

Read the researcher biographies

Works Developed as Part of Symbioses of Intelligences

Malvina Horse by woodcarver Royden Mills

Through residencies, workshops and interdisciplinary collaborations, Symbioses of Intelligences gives rise to a series of works and experiments exploring the relationships between body, territory, memory, emerging technologies and artificial intelligence.

The Malvina Horse

Alberta-based artist Royden Mills is developing a life-size sculpture inspired by the draft horse that marked Malvina’s agricultural history. Created in part with the help of artificial intelligence tools, the work forges a new dialogue between rural heritage, collective memory and contemporary technology. Presented on the trail Malvina in the Old Days, it bears witness to how digital tools can help reinterpret the history of a territory.

Primal Body / Future Body

The immersive trail Primal Body / Future Body has been completely renewed with 15 new panels. Images inspired by the choreographic works of Van Grimde Corps Secrets and the landscapes of Malvina are transformed through generative artificial intelligence to create new representations of the body in constant transformation. The trail is enriched with virtual reality experiences from the MESSIS and Wild Intelligences projects, as well as scientific content on the connections between trees and humans.

Body Territory

The new outdoor artistic trail Body Territory brings together sound installations, sculptures, prints, poetry and immersive works created by Sean Caulfield, Isabelle Van Grimde, Thom Gossage and their collaborators. The trail offers a sensitive exploration of the interactions between the human body, the landscape, the memories of place and the technological transformations shaping our era.

Artificial Intelligence, Movement and Collective Creation

Through a series of workshops and encounters, the guest artists explore new ways of collaborating with artificial intelligence in the creative process. Visitors will notably be able to take part in a movement experience developed by Karen Vanderborght and Emmanuelle Martin, in which a folk dance generated by artificial intelligence becomes material for transmission, interpretation and collective creation.

Art, Research and Emerging Technologies

The project also fosters dialogue between the arts, the humanities and digital technologies. Researchers, artists and immersive environment specialists come together throughout the season to share their reflections on the ethical, ecological and cultural issues linked to artificial intelligence. These exchanges culminate at the Malvina Festival with a major roundtable devoted to the relationships between art, artificial intelligence, environment and territory.

 

Check out ccdMalvina’s 2026 cultural programming