SSHRC Support Material
Table of Contents
SSHRC In-Sight Development
Title: Otekhnótshera
Principal Investigator: Dr. Jackson Leween, Two Bears Ph.D.
Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Arts Research & Technology (Tier 1)
Associate Professor, Visual Arts and Indigenous Studies
Director: Otekh Lab - An Indigenous Research-Creation and Teaching Environment
Western University; London ON. Canada.
ITEM 1
Title: Ne:Kahwistará:ken Kanónhsa’kówa í:se Onkwehonwe
Artist(s): Jackson Leween, Two Bears & January Rogers (2RO MEDIA) with members of the Six Nations of the Grand River Community.
Date of Creation: 2019-2023
Medium: Multimedia/ Immersive Panoramic Installation; canvas and supports, 12 video projectors, 14.2 channel audio, computer and specialized software for projection mapping and ambisonics audio.
Dimensions: 34ft x 8ft panorama screen
Location: Thru the Red Door, Ohsweken Ontario (Six Nations of the Grand River Territory).
Description: Ne:Kahwistará:ken Kanónhsa’kówa í:se Onkwehonwe is a multifaceted research-creation project comprised of a series of site-specific artworks developed in-community (2019–2022) and a Multimedia Panoramic Installation by 2RO MEDIA (2023). Created in collaboration with members of the Six Nations community, the final installation featured a 34-foot panoramic screen, with multiple video projectors creating an immersive visual environment, with 14.2-channel surround (ambisonics) sound. This artwork presents a fictional reimagining of the Haudenosaunee Creation Story, employing a cyclical narrative that interweaves the past, present, and future.
Significance: This project showcases the development of a large-scale media art installation created collaboratively with community as part of a multi-year initiative. The work demonstrates technical proficiency in advanced media arts production, including 360-degree video and audio recording/editing, advanced green-screen and camera tracking workflows, 3D scanning (photogrammetry) and modeling, advanced FX compositing, projection mapping, and specialized software development. The project highlights the capacity to assemble and lead a diverse research-creation team, conduct collaborative research within Indigenous communities, and sustain a robust and productive working environment over multiple years.
ITEM 2
Title: For this Land (series)
Artist(s): Jackson Leween, Two Bears & January Rogers (2RO MEDIA) with members of the Six Nations of the Grand River Community.
Date of Creation: 2015-2023
Medium: Multimedia Installation, Performance, Audio/Video.
Dimensions: N/A
Location: Various Locations
Description: This multi-project Series (2015-2023) is a collaboration with Kanien’kehaka (Mohawk) poet and spoken word artist Janet (January) Rogers. Over the past several years January and I have spent time in our home territory of Six Nations researching and exploring different heritage sites and important ‘spirit’ locations. At the heart of the project is the on-going investigation of, and creative engagement with, the stories on-the-land. Throughout we have documented elements of our interactions with these sites—our actions, experiences, and conversations—and for the past eight years have been exhibiting our imaginative and aesthetic interpretations of the dialogues we have had with ‘place’ in the form of art installations, performances, and multimedia projects.
Significance: This project highlights the ability to sustain a long-term initiative in collaboration with community members, elders, knowledge-keepers, and Indigenous artists. It showcases technical expertise in audio and video recording/editing, creating multimedia installations for galleries and non-traditional venues, and developing custom software. Additionally, the project demonstrates the capacity to assemble and lead a diverse research-creation team, conduct meaningful collaborative research within Indigenous communities, and maintain a productive and supportive working environment over an extended period.
ITEM 3
Title: Ojistohkwarénion tsi karonhiá:te
Artist(s): Jackson Leween, Two Bears & January Rogers (2RO MEDIA) with members of the Six Nations of the Grand River Community.
Date of Creation: 2023-2024
Medium: Multimedia Installation
Dimensions: N/A
Location: Chiefswood Park, Ohsweken Ontario (Six Nations of the Grand River Territory).
Description: Ojistohkwarénion tsi karonhiá:te was a site-specific multimedia installation exhibited at Chiefswood Park, Six Nations, during the 2RO MEDIA 2024 Festival (October 17–19). Developed through research-creation in collaboration with the creative community in Ohswé:ken, Ontario, the project was inspired by Kanien’kehá:ka poet and performer Tekahionwake (E. Pauline Johnson, d. 1913), whose Chiefswood home is now a heritage site. The installation featured multiple videos projected onto freestanding silhouette cut-outs, synchronized using prototype AI software developed by the artists to create a cohesive aesthetic with multichannel sound. This marked 2RO Media’s first experiment with machine-learning technology trained on natural environmental sounds, aiming to create a “living” or intelligent installation. Further developments of this innovative approach are ongoing.
Significance: This project demonstrates the integration of Haudenosaunee cultural storytelling with contemporary media arts practices. It reflects the ability to collaborate with community members, elders, and artists while developing a site-specific multimedia installation. The work showcases technical skills in video production, multichannel sound design, and experimental AI-driven synchronization software. It also highlights the capacity to manage a collaborative research-creation process, engaging community knowledge and cultural storytelling within a technologically driven framework.
