Shipping containers portals to new DIMENSIONS at music & art festival in Oshawa, Ontario

An immersive art experience from another ‘Dimension’ will take over the Convergence Music & Art Festival in downtown Oshawa this September.

DIMENSION X will transform shipping containers into portals to extraordinary worlds created by visionary artists, with festival-goers invited to step inside to “stretch the boundaries of imagination and curiosity” and explore mind-bending immersive art.

Each container offers an interactive, multi-sensory installation that transports visitors to an alternate dimension, from glowing bioluminescent mushrooms to a time-warping bakery and eerie coral graveyards.

It will be surreal and otherworldly, said festival director Krista Licsi.

“At Convergence, we strive to push the boundaries of art and music, and DIMENSION X does just that,” she said. “This installation highlights the kind of immersive, genre-defying creativity that is putting Oshawa on the national map as a leader in the arts. It’s a celebration of the homegrown/local talent and originality that make our city’s cultural scene unlike any other.”

Oshawa artist Chris Trubela

Chris Trubela, one of the DIMENSION X artists, said art can take an “infinite amount of forms” with his ‘Izzy Sweets Shop’ installation allowing him the chance to explore “narrative-based immersive experiential art.”

“I looked at the relatively small shipping container space not as a problem but as an opportunity to push my creativity to new levels. I’m very excited to see people enjoy my immersive concept and, hopefully, inspire artists… young and old, to seek out and explore their own weird and wonderful artistic expressions.”

Featured Installations:

COSMIC MUSHROOMS – Artists: Melissa McKnight & Jason Dasti (Oshawa)
A fiery meteorite crash at Parkwood Estate has unearthed a long-buried biochemical military lab, triggering an explosion of cosmic energy that mutates the landscape of downtown Oshawa. Bioluminescent mushrooms, pulsing with an alien glow, sprout from the cracks of reality, inviting festival-goers to explore a breathtaking – and slightly unsettling – new dimension. Will you dare to step inside?

IZZY’S SWEETS SHOP – Artist: Chris Trubela (Oshawa)
Izzy was once a physicist, but after an unfortunate departure from the lab, she turned to baking. But in the back of her bakery she continued her experiments in ‘fringe quantum science,’ pushing the limits of time and space. Now, an anomaly she created has taken on a life of its own. Step into Izzy’s Sweets Shop and prepare to lose yourself in a reality where past, present, and future collide – forever altering the way you experience time… and dessert.

SHADOWS OF THE YULETIDE BEAST – Artist: Jordan Anderson (Oshawa)
Enter the chilling world of Krampus, the horned creature of Austrian folklore who punishes the naughty during the holiday season. This immersive installation explores the eerie yet captivating duality of winter traditions where festive joy meets dark legend. Whether you fear him or admire him, Krampus is waiting for you in the shadows.

ALBINO REEF – Artist: James Fisher (Toronto)
Step into a hauntingly beautiful world of an ancient coral reef that no longer thrives – its vibrant colors stripped away, leaving only skeletal remains. Though faded, the reef holds secrets of past adventures, forgotten battles and lost beauty. Inspired by the graphic novel comic series Squid Lid, this ghostly seascape reminds us of what once was and what still lingers beneath the surface.

Alongside DIMENSION X, the Art Zone will showcase activations by the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, the City of Oshawa Culture Team, the Livingroom Mobile Art Studio, the Oshawa Art Association and more, with each bringing a unique artistic vision to downtown Oshawa.

Visitors can expect hands-on workshops, interactive exhibits, and other transformative art experiences that make the festival a creative playground and memorable experience.

‘The people in space suits” – Photo Glenn Hendry

The award-winning Convergence Music and Art Festival, presented by the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce, will enter its third year this fall transforming Oshawa into a vibrant hub of creativity, community and connection. The celebration of music and art showcases the city’s authentic and unique culture, drawing talent and audiences from across the region and beyond.

Valley, a Toronto-based indie/pop band nominated three times at the JUNOS will close the free, all day show September 20 when the popular music and arts festival returns to the streets of downtown Oshawa.

Joining them is Juno Award-winning singer-songwriter Aysanabee, whose powerful storytelling and soulful sound have captivated audiences across the country and highlight Convergence’s commitment to featuring top-tier Canadian talent while also providing a stage for Oshawa’s deeply rooted creative community.

This fall will mark just the third incarnation of Convergence, who brought in two-time JUNO winners The Strumbellas to headline the inaugural event in 2023 and TALK! –the Breakthrough Artist of the Year in 2024.

The festival offers a variety of interactive experiences, including the immersive art installations, three live music stages, live professional wrestling, a Punk Rock Market and Nerd Alley, a space for gaming, comics, cosplay, and collectible, which help create a feel-good vibe that is the real character of the event.

Convergence was one of five events in Oshawa making the top 100 list from Festivals & Events Ontario and also earned a prestigious EDCO Award from the Economic Developers Council of Ontario.