"Pixel as a Seed explores immersive digital realities alongside small-scale ecological farming practices as I tend to a section of farmland operated by my family since the mid 1980s. Garnering knowledge on heirloom techniques and tools, microbial ecology, and soil health, this work is a natural extension of my arts practice, just as my art responds to my rural upbringing. Here, photo documentation from my farming diary is collaged within my lexicon of mixed-media artworks and lo-fi digital assets. Combining these practices allows me to delve into family knowledge and storytelling, while exploring metaphysical connections between the landscape, human spirit, and my physical self. Pixelation of these ecologies prompts reflection on what is gained and lost in translation, and how this process of transferring information can inspire new ways of thinking, interacting, creating, and being."

ABOUT THE ARTIST Diana Lynn VanderMeulen is a multidisciplinary artist living in Toronto, Canada. Her practice is fluid between analogue and digital mediums as she develops expansive, multisensory environments. During an artist creation residency at Société des arts technologiques (Montreal) Diana extended her interactive XR “A Boundless and Radiant Aura” into a 40 minute, 360-degree fulldome AV artwork entitled “I want to leave this Earth behind,” alongside sonic collaborator Stefana Fratila. Throughout 2023-2025 “IWTLTEB” was performed live at MUTEK Montreal & Dubai, and shown as a fulldome film at SAT (Montreal), CultVR (Cardiff, WAL) and at Katara Planetarium, (Doha, QA). “IWTLTEB” has been adapted for site-specific immersive installations with Venus Fest at InterAccess 360 (Toronto), Nuit Blanche at Design Exchange (Toronto) and New Forms Festival (Vancouver). Diana has been involved in many public and DIY ventures including exhibitions and installations with Debaser at SAW Gallery (Ottawa), Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, Toutoune Gallery (Toronto), Manufacturing Entertainment & Video Pool (Winnipeg). Curated by Sky Fine Foods in 2021, Diana’s solo hybrid exhibition Shimmer of a Petal, Now a Mountain Stream was hosted online with ArtGate VR, with in person exhibitions at Art Playground Buffalo (USA), CADAF Digital Art Fair (Paris, FR) and Synthesis Gallery, (Berlin, DE). Diana self-published and launched her first XR magic window “Swampy Gogo” at The Brandscape (Toronto, CA) in 2019. Her developing project Pixel as a Seed was shown in an immersive video format at SHiFT Midtown (NYC, USA) for Climate Week 2024.