Converse Exhibition

April 1 to July 15, 2015

Nicole Dextras | Haruko Okano | Marina Szijarto

Converse activates as the third and final group of installations and community interactions for Art is Land Network CONDUIT, a one-year project of engagement with the plantings and architecture of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Public Park and its surrounding communities.

 

This community engaged project, Converse, led by three Art is Land Network artists, speaks through the persona of plants thriving within our local environment. Within the historical languages of Vancouver’s downtown East-side, Converse presents a series of public celebrations, ephemeral installations and workshops exploring native and medicinal plants.

Haruko Okano presents two works; Meditation on Water and Meditation on Land reflecting the multi-cultural and linguistic roots of this unique area. Her installations include Chinese, Japanese and First Nation texts embedded into the landscape.

 

 

 

 

Nicole Dextras’ Urban Botanicals, constructed from leaves, demonstrate plant identifiers meandering throughout the garden for visitors to discover. They spell out the native plants of the region, acknowledging the original landscape that the City of Vancouver was built upon.

 

Marina Szijarto will create the The Travelling Apothecary Tea Room, a Summer Solstice celebration with participatory plant communication workshops, community conversations, ambient music and tea. She will also be inviting visitors in the park to contemplate how we ‘see’ the plants and environment in this urban oasis through her Frames of Reference meditation sculptures.