Resonant Sources

Marilene Oliver (University of Alberta); Scott Smallwood (University of Alberta)

Resonant Sources
Image credit: Marilene Oliver (University of Alberta); Scott Smallwood (University of Alberta)

Abstract:

Resonant Sources is a virtual reality (VR) artwork with immersive 3D interactive sound and music that explores the evolving landscape of healing in the digital age. The work was originally by ancient Celtic healing fountains in the Brittany region of France. Many of the fountains, which date as far back as 5000 BC, were and still are believed to be places of healing, often of very specific ailments, and were part of a larger culture of water as a healing agent. For NIME 2026, we present a series of VR scenes, each centered on a different fountain. One example is the Fontaine de la Vierge in Bulat-Plestivien, a site historically visited by mothers who drank from the spring and prayed for abundant milk and the health of their children. The fountain is deeply sunken and enclosed by high granite walls, forming a resonant acoustic space shaped by trickling water, birdsong, church bells, footsteps, and, today, the distant passage of airplanes. In each scene, visitors will encounter a range of sonic elements, including a variety of sounds from each site, as well as whispered contemporary conversations about specific ailments, which invite reflection on the historical and communal role of these fountains and their enduring associations with healing.