Expect the unexpected at the University of Lethbridge as Vibe Fest prepares to return to campus on Saturday, April 18.
Showcasing the top-level creative work of Faculty of Fine Arts students, alumni and employees, Vibe Fest promises audiences a vibrant, interactive celebration of artistic excellence.
Our classrooms and learning spaces transform into experiences that are open, inclusive and free to the public. From engaging performances to experimental installations, audiences are invited to explore the full spectrum of emerging art practices across disciplines.
Aesthetic Noise
In the Department of Music, students, staff and faculty are preparing an array of performances in unconventional and site-specific spaces.
Digital Audio Arts students will showcase recorded work in Studio One and Two, while student-created Aesthetic Noise pieces will appear throughout Vibe Fest as sonic experiences rather than traditional performances.
Organizer and Music Assistant Professor Dr. Mary Mazurek says Aesthetic Noise works are designed as encounters rather than a single scheduled performance.
"Audiences will experience works in multiple locations throughout Vibe Fest. During the Fall semester, my Aesthetic Noise students studied artists who use noise in inventive and creative ways, alongside philosophical approaches that frame noise as a meaningful material. Students then created their own original pieces based on these ideas. The resulting works range from live performance to acousmatic recorded pieces and sound works with single-channel video elements."
What makes Aesthetic Noise a can't-miss performance is that the featured works treat noise as a creative medium, rather than something to be eliminated, controlled or avoided.
"Each piece explores how texture, interference, distortion, and environmental sound can communicate artistic intent. The format is exploratory and experiential, inviting listeners to engage with noise differently than they might otherwise do," says Mary.
For Mary, being able to showcase the work of her students through Vibe Fest makes creative research and artistic practice visible, accessible and shareable with broader communities.
"It gives students the experience of presenting their work in a professional, public-facing context, while also demonstrating how faculty mentorship can translate into real artistic outcomes. Events like this illustrate that creative activity in the Faculty of Fine Arts is not only expressive but investigative and innovative — generating new ideas, new forms and new ways of engaging with sound, media, and performance. It highlights the faculty’s role as both a cultural contributor and a facilitator for creative discovery."
Aesthetic Noise encourages intentional listening and curiosity. Join us at Vibe Fest on April 18 to explore, question and experience the works.
Listeners are invited to spend time with the pieces, move through our spaces and discover how sound can reshape perception and environment.