Photo by Sarah Whitlam

The Sunset Community Centre got a new addition!

Hold that Thought is a work in neon with programmed failure units by Toronto multimedia artist Kelly Mark. This site specific work was first exhibited in Nuit Blanche Festival in 2006 where it was installed on the front façade of the Church of the Redeemer at Bloor and Avenue Road in downtown Toronto. Several of the letters were programmed to fail or sputter (flicker on and off) at random intervals.

For more information, visit the artwork page on www.vblearn.ca

Located in a vibrant neighborhood in Vancouver, Canada, the Sunset Community Centre was conceived as a link between nature and the multi-cultural communities that surround it.

The original Sunset Community Centre was sited two blocks from the nearest major street, lacking visibility and accessibility. To better serve the community, the re-development of the community centre situates the building on Main Street, a major north-south thoroughfare while sitting harmoniously among the fields, greenhouses and planting beds of the adjacent city nursery.  Read more …

Photo: Ted Topping

From Tuija Seipell of Jaunted.com – Vancouver is still basking in the afterglow of the 2010 Winter Olympics and one of the best remnants of the Games is the public art that now decorates the city’s parks and buildings. For the next few weeks, Jaunted’s Vancouver Embed Tuija Seipell of The Cool Hunter will be reporting on the best of the bunch.

A-maze-ing Laughter happily competes with The Meeting for the title of the most-photographed and most-posed-with among Vancouver’s coolest public art. Each of the 14 happy bronze-cast males is 8.5 feet tall (2.5 meters) and weighs 551 pounds (250 kilograms).

Read more …

In your opinion, which Biennale sculpture is the coolest piece? Let us know in the comments!

Please Help Us Return the Blue Hare to its Minotaur!

Crazy, weird, sad news… but the Blue Hare has been stolen again!

And we’re asking for your help in facilitating its safe return.

The Blue Hare is a part of a sculpture called the Minotaur and Hare created by renowned sculptor, Sophie Ryder, and installed at the entrance to the hedge maze at Van Dusen Gardens as part of the Vancouver Biennale.

Sophie Ryder with Minotaur & Hare. Photo by Dan Fairchild.

Minotaur and Hare is a twisted and wrapped anthropomorphic sculpture made of galvanized wire standing on a ceramic base might at first seem a whimsical love story; but according to ancient folklore the two are incompatible opposites.

In Greek mythology the Minotaur, often portrayed as part man and part bull, is a figure of courage and terror, while the Hare symbolizes fertility, agility, and bravery.

British sculptor, Sophie Ryder, recently flew to Vancouver to re-install a replacement hare after an earlier theft from the 10ft wire sculpture.

The work has been installed at Van Dusen Garden since 2009.

The hare is an integral part of the art work, severely impacting its value. We are seeking your support in the return of the lost blue hare.

If you have any information please contact any of the following:

Vancouver Biennale: 604 682 1289

Van Dusen Garden: 604 878 9274

Vancouver Police: 604 717 3321.

Sophie finishes the installation of the blue hare. Photo by Dan Fairchild.

Richmond Art Gallery Exhibition, In Transition: New Art from India

April 26 2010 – June 13 2010

Opening reception: May 1st, 1-3pm

In collaboration with the Vancouver Biennale, the Richmond Art Gallery will present In Transition: New Art from India, April 26 to June 13.

India is experiencing a period of remarkable growth and transformation. As it is poised to become one of the largest populations in the world over the next decades its artists (like contemporary artists everywhere) are responding to these changes.

With an eye on its past and a view to the future, these artists are examining the social, political, economic and religious implications of becoming a major world economy.

With a rich and complex history that runs centuries deep, India offers its artists a multifaceted and intriguing source of inspiration as modernization meets tradition, the local encounters the global, and cultural norms converge with external forces.

The exhibition will feature installation-based work by some of India’s most recognized contemporary artists: Shilpa Gupta, Reena Kallat, TV Santhosh, Sudarshan Shetty, Thukral and Tagra, and Hema Upadhyay.

Richmond Open Doors: May 1st and 2nd, 2010 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Explore Richmond’s arts, culture and heritage diversity during this two day city-wide free celebration.

Doors Open Richmond will offer free access to over 40 including heritage landmarks, modern structures, hidden gems, places of worship, artist’s studios, museums and national historic sites. Many participating partners will organize guided tours, displays and activities to enrich your experience.

Whether you live in Richmond or you’re a welcome visitor, don’t miss this fascinating chance to discover many special parts of Richmond and its rich history. The doors are open for you to see Richmond like you’ve never seen it before.

We will have volunteers at each of our sculpture sin Richmond from 12-4pm on May 1^st and 2^nd handing out postcards and pins.

Miss Mao Trying to Poise Herself at the Top of Lenin’s Head. Photo by Louise Gadd.

On January 6th, Malcolm Brodie wrote the following letter to the editors of the Richmond Review newspaper regarding public response to a recent sculpture installation.  Full text is faithfully reprinted below.

Editors:

There has been a great deal of public discussion about the recent installation of “Miss Mao Trying to Poise Herself at the Top of Lenin’s Head,” a public art piece located at the intersection of Elmbridge and Alderbridge Way.

This is part of the Vancouver International Sculpture Biennale (VISB) which will ultimately showcase nine sculptures, on an interim basis, throughout our community with more in Vancouver until early 2011. The VISB is a non-profit organization whose goal is to bi-annually mount an outdoor public art exhibition, featuring major sculptures, new media, and performance works by some of the world’s most celebrated and emerging artists.

Richmond City Council has supported public art over many years. Involvement in the VISB is part of the City’s commitment. Other Biennale works currently installed include Yvonne Domenge’s “Olas de Viento (Wind Waves)” at Garry Point Park and Dennis Oppenheim’s “Arriving Home” at YVR International Arrivals. Watch for “Water #10” soon to be situated near the Aberdeen Station on the Middle Arm Waterfront Greenway, amongst others.

There are always a variety of opinions about any work of art, including this sculpture. In fact, public art is meant to provoke discussion—making us stop, think and reflect on the experience. This particular sculpture presents a provocative and unconventional depiction of Mao and Lenin. This piece may remind us that because we have freedom of expression in Canada, we need not fear censorship.

I hope that each piece of public art will cause residents and visitors alike to stop and reflect. Freedom for artistic expression and the right to express an opinion are fundamental rights all Canadians enjoy.

Malcolm D. Brodie

Mayor