Inspiration From One Community To The Next

Tuesday September 10th, 2013
Choi Jeong Hwa, Krisztina Egyed, Dong Yue and Barrie Mowatt pose on top of a 600 year old tree trunk in Squamish. Photo: Jim Hegen.

Choi Jeong Hwa, Krisztina Egyed, Dong Yue and Barrie Mowatt pose on top of a 600 year old tree trunk in Squamish. Photo: Jim Hegan.

Our commitment to public art knows no boundaries. That’s why, with our 2014-2015 exhibition OPEN BORDERS/CROSSROADS VANCOUVER, we’re expanding the Vancouver Biennale to include a number of neighbouring communities in British Columbia including New Westminster, North Vancouver, Richmond, and Squamish.

Choi Jeong Hwa photographing sites in Squamish for a potential art installation in the 2014-2015 Vancouver Biennale. Photo: Jim Hegen.

A few weeks ago, we were thrilled to showcase our partnering communities to renowned Korean artist Choi Jeong Hwa. Choi, alongside his curatorial assistant Dong Yue and the Vancouver Biennale’s Barrie Mowatt, spent a few days exploring potential public art sites throughout the Lower Mainland and Squamish, where we connected with local art activator Krisztina Egyed (and took some of the beautiful photos you see here).

A native of Seoul, South Korea, Choi Jeong Hwa is on the frontline of Korea’s Pop Art movement. His work is an exploration of abundance. Using mass-produced plastic objects and materials, his brightly-coloured, interactive and often kitchsy installations reflect our addiction to consumerism and disposability, while providing the viewer with a playful experience, filled with wonder. His work has exhibited at the Venice Biennale, the Biennale of Sydney, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art among others.

Additionally, according to a HSC Visual Art Resources, his work “challenges the status and reverence of artworks in galleries and museums by creating artworks from non-traditional materials as installations, away from these formal institutions, that can be touched and experienced by an audience.” Needless to say, a great fit for the Vancouver Biennale Open Air Museum.

Will it be Squamish? Vancouver? Richmond? New West? Curators, artists, community art activators are being inspired from one location to the next. Artists are submitting proposals based on their visits and the incredible possibilities that the Biennale exhibition provides.

Stay tuned to the Biennale Blog for updates. Imagine the possibilities!

Choi Jeong Hwa and community art activator Krisztina Egyed in Squamish. Photo: Jim Hegen.

Choi Jeong Hwa and community art activator Krisztina Egyed in Squamish. Photo: Jim Hegan.

 

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