Feed the Fires

Feed the Fires is a transformative installation presented by the Sôhkêpayin Collective at InterAccess in Toronto from September 10 - October 11, 2025 (Tuesday-Saturday, 11am-6pm).

A firepit with mystic logs and glowing smoke beckons the audience. The spirit of the fire speaks to them, guiding them to share a story that the spirit will transport to the spirit world.

The Experience

A large language model (LLM) plays the role of the fire spirit listening to the audience stories. It interprets the stories and imagines the location of the story, asking questions when it needs more details. It uses this information to generate dream-like images in an immersive environment on the walls all around the audience. The central fire reacts with movement and color according to the interaction with the audience, providing an abstract reflection of the soul of the story.

A 4’x4’ square firepit contains a projector that projects on the top surface of frosted acrylic. LED lights and “coals” flicker with shifting light. A water vapour machine and fans create billowing “smoke” from the center of the firepit when the audience enters the room and the projected fire comes to life. Four wooden benches surround the fire as an invitation to sit around the fire. The walls and room are dark. The AI fire spirit invites the audience to sit and share a story. When the audience tells their story the walls begin to color, at first blurry and gradually clearer imaginings of where the audience’s story took place, transporting the audience back in time and memory.

About the Project

Presented by the Sôhkêpayin Collective, Feed the Fires is a transformative exhibition resulting from a unique collaboration during a trip to Japan, organized by the Ainu. Five Indigenous creatives from the Five Directions came together in the East to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and environmental stewardship. Through sharing knowledge and traditions related to fire, the participants sparked discussions on how technology can deepen our connection with nature.

This partnership project emphasizes “more-than-human” collaborations, aiming to foster new understandings of interdependence within our ecosystems. By utilizing AI technologies alongside established datasets, the exhibition seeks to stimulate community engagement and promote reciprocal relationships between the digital and natural worlds.

Together, we challenge ourselves to envision a future where both sentient beings—natural and digital—collaborate respectfully to shape sustainable outcomes for our environment. Feed the Fires invites viewers to reflect on their role in this evolving narrative.

How it Works

Feed the Fires combines traditional storytelling practices with cutting-edge AI technology:

• Interactive Fire Spirit
  An AI-powered voice agent listens to visitor stories and responds as the spirit of the fire, asking questions and guiding the narrative experience.

• Immersive Visual Generation
  Real-time AI image generation creates dream-like visualizations of story locations on the surrounding walls, evolving from abstract to detailed as stories unfold.

• Ambient Audio Generation Real-time audio is also generated in response to the storytelling, providing an ambient environment and audio cues.

• Responsive Fire Display
  The central firepit projection reacts dynamically to the audience interaction with the fire spirit through movement and color changes.

• Atmospheric Effects
  Water vapor and fans create realistic “smoke” effects, while projections and LEDs simulate flickering flames.

• Spatial Design
  Four wooden benches arranged around the firepit create an intimate gathering space reminiscent of traditional storytelling circles.

Technical Details

Credits

Presented by the Sôhkêpayin Collective

Indigenous Ainu Host

• Mayunkiki (Mai Hachiya)

Indigenous Led Contributors

• Susan Blight
• Rheanne Chartrand
• Dr. Desiree Hernandez Ibinarriaga
• Dr. James Oliver
• Howard Munroe
• Jason Baerg

Allied Contributors

• Fran Rawlings
• Calla Lee
• Ziyan Hossain

Japanese Contributors

• Kanoko Tamura
• Tomoko Momiyama

Technical and Creative Contributors

• Ryan Kelln (AI integration: custom Python software)
• Kyle Duffield (fire projection & LEDs: TouchDesigner and custom software)
• Cultivate Collective: Mike Dunn & Robbie Foti (firepit, water vapour machine and other fabrication)

Images

Photography by Benjamin Lappalainen @blapphoto