This summer’s art exhibitions explore the impact of technology, sports and more on human culture

A look at light, shadow and the spaces in between

Publication date :

Jul 05, 2022 • 39 minutes ago • 3 minute read • Join the conversation

At the Surrey Art Gallery, the duo known as Mere Phantoms present paper cutouts and images of shadows in the exhibition Shadows Without Borders. Photo of Leila Shifteh and Harun Yasin Tu /.jpg

Surrey Art Gallery

Mere Phantoms: Shadows Without Boundaries

Until August 14

Mere Phantoms is a partnership between artists Maya Ersan and Jaimie Robson, who use shadow play to explore the relationship between memory and architecture, people and place. For their 2018 work Shadows Without Borders, the duo traveled to refugee camps, squats and settlements in Athens and Istanbul. There, they led paper-cut and shadow workshops with children and families. Some of the pieces created during this trip are included in the exhibit along with a 3.5m by 3.5m shadow casting tent and custom made flashlights. During the exhibit, visitors are invited to interact with the artwork by adding their own cutouts to an ever-changing interactive installation and pick up a flashlight to animate the intricate flipcharts. The gallery’s concurrent exhibitions include ARTS 2022, an annual juried exhibition of local art curated with the Arts Council of Surrey; Atheana Picha: Echoes, a mural that celebrates Coast Salish mountain goat horn bracelets; and Charles Campbell: Black Breath Archive, an audiovisual exhibition by the Victoria-based Jamaican artist.

13750 88th Ave, Surrey 604-501-5566

surrey.ca/artgallery

The Polygon Gallery

Ho Tzu Nyen’s multiple avatar installation, No Man II, 2017, is part of an international group exhibition at the Polygon Gallery. Photo by Fourni /.jpg

The ghosts of the machine

Until August 14

This international collective exhibition explores the relationships between humans, technology and ecology. The work includes a new commission from Cease Wyss (Skwxwú7mesh) consisting of a garden project inside the gallery with the artist tending to the plants throughout the exhibition. An augmented reality experience by Tracey Kim Bonneau (Syilx) will be presented in the garden. Other pieces include No Man II by Ho Tzu Nyen from Singapore, an installation with dozens of avatars – humans, beasts and hybrids – that quote John Donne’s poem No Man Is an Island. In her self-portrait, New York-based Juliana Huxtable poses as a trans-species entity. Ziggy and the Starfish by Berlin-based Anne Duk Hee Jordan is an interactive sculpture inspired by wave crests and covered in a blue shag rug. Other artists include Shanghai-based rising international art star Lu Yang, whose work was last seen at The Polygon’s Fall 2020 exhibition, Third Realm, and l Montreal artist Skawennati.

101 Carrie Cates Court, North Vancouver 604-986-1351

lepolygone.ca

Griffin Art Projects

Per day

Until August 28

A stewardess for more than 40 years, the late Gerd Metzdorff (1948-2020) began buying art with savings accumulated from per diems. The collector was especially attracted by contemporary German photography, American pop art, minimalism and post-minimalism. The first public presentation of Metzdorff’s private collection, Per Diem focuses on photography as well as engraving and drawing. It includes 100 pieces with works by Lynda Benglis, Donald Judd, Robert Rauschenberg, Cindy Sherman, Andy Warhol and others.

1174 Welch Street, North Vancouver 604-985-0136

griffinartprojects.ca

Reach Gallery Museum

Lace Net, 2020, by Mallory Tolcher is just one of the works in an exhibition exploring the impact of sport on culture at the Reach Gallery in Abbotsford. Photo by Fourni

Game/Culture

Until September 3

Works by four contemporary Canadian artists comment on the impact of sports and games on gender, sexuality, race and ability. The exhibiting artists are Lucas Morneau (from New Brunswick), Nathalie Quagliotto (Quebec), Mallory Tolcher (Ontario) and Craig Willms (BC). Plus, guests are invited to shoot hoops, throw a wiffleball, and compete in a mini-putt challenge. The gallery is also showing the Oscar-winning short documentary The Queen of Basketball, about Lusia Harris. Harris scored the first field goal in women’s Olympic history and was the first and only woman to be drafted into the NBA.

32388 Veterans Road, Abbotsford

yaccess.ca

Kurbatoff Gallery

This year, the Kurbatoff celebrates 20 years of promoting contemporary Canadian artists. The South Granville Gallery also offers advice to individuals and businesses for its diverse collection of paintings, sculptures and photographs. In 2020, Corporate Vision recognized Kurbatoff’s importance to Vancouver’s visual arts scene with a Canadian Business Award for Best Commercial Art Gallery.

2435 Granville Street 604-736-5444

kurbatoffgallery.com