Vancouver winter arts festival goes Caribbean with new outdoor exhibition
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An exhibition showcasing audio, visual and spoken word artists of the African and Caribbean diaspora can be seen this month as part of VMF Winter Arts 2023.
From now until February 26, PRESENT will be displayed at the Winter Arts Hub at šxʷƛ̓ ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square (Vancouver Art Gallery north plaza) as well as at 555 Burrard Street.
The exhibition is curated by Vancouver multi-media artist and designer Tafui and also features exciting live performances at the Winter Arts Hub.
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“PRESENT combines poetry and illustration to create a unique and meaningful art experience,” explained Tafui in an interview with Daily Hive. “The artists are all inspired by various parts of the poem, ‘A Gap’ by Dr. Naila Keleta-Mae. Viewers can also listen to the poem while viewing the work via a QR code.
“Some of the art pieces are accompanied by the poem, adding emotion and meaning to the overall experience. The illustrations used mediums such as animated laser lights and gobo lights.”
Artist rendition of New Visions Of Power by Franco E./Submitted
The VMF Winter Arts exhibition features work by artists from the Caribbean & Caribbean Diaspora. Franco Égalité is an illustrator based in Montreal and of Haitian descent, Natasha Cunningham is a Jamaican artist whose work was Adobe photoshop splash screen artist for 2022, and Nya Williams is a type-based artist of Trinidadian descent who is based in Vancouver.
Franco E’s laser light animation art can be viewed outside Bentall Centre (555 Burrard) nightly from sunset to 11 pm.
“There’s also a performance part to PRESENT taking place on February 17 at the Winter Arts Hub,” added Tafui. “There will be a drum clash similar to a Jamaican Sound clash but using drummers from various cultures.
“I’m really excited to see all the artworks in lights across the city. I am also really excited about the drum clash because I love drumming as much as the rest of Vancouver does.”
VMF Winter Arts Hub (Gabriel Martins/Submitted
PRESENT’s live performance on February 17 runs from 4 to 10 pm and will also feature local poets, live music, and roving performers
According to Tafui, the goal of the exhibition is to showcase “the present” talent pool in minority groups that are sometimes overlooked.
“Seismic Waves” by Natasha Cunningham and word design by Nya Lewis is an interpretation inspired by Naila Keleta-Mae’s poem, “A Gap”/Submitted
“I also hope the viewers leave feeling much better about their day or week after experiencing the festival. We get bombarded with so much negative news on a daily basis. I hope they forget about their problems and enjoy the present because that’s all we have, and it’s a gift.”
VMF Winter Arts – PRESENT
When: Art Installation can be seen daily until February 26, 2023. Winter Arts Hub performance on February 17
Time: Art Installation can be seen during opening hours. Winter Arts Hub performance from 4 to 10 pm
Where: Winter Arts Hub at šxʷƛ̓ ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square (Vancouver Art Gallery north plaza), 555 Burrard Street
Cost: Free
Daily Hive is a proud media partner of the VMF Winter Arts
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