AGGV

Where My Heart Settles, Is Where My Home Is

By Heng Wu, Curator of Asian Art, AGGV.

A horse-drawn carriage passing the Legislative Assembly building, instantly captured in freehand-style brushwork, resonating with a festival night in China about 900 years ago recorded in a poem by the Chinese poet Xin Qiji (1140-1207). A young girl in traditional Chinese dress dancing under a maple tree, paired with a line transcribed in the seal-script calligraphy, which reads, “Where my heart settles, is where my home is.” The colorful float homes gilding Victoria’s Fisherman’s Wharf rendered in traditional Chinese ink wash with a tone of Western oil painting. 

In the Studio

By Oona McClure, Studio Coordinator

As many of you will know, we endeavoured to keep our Studio classes running in-person over the past 2 years by implementing some effective and creative safety protocols in accordance with PHO policies. We also enjoyed the flexibility of developing and creating ‘at home’ art experiences through the introduction of virtual workshops. We witnessed that despite all the various challenges arising from the pandemic, the process of making art created wonderful opportunities for renewed connection, playful exploration and a place to ‘be’. A warm thank you is extended to the Studio team who displayed ongoing inventiveness and adaptability and to all participants who joined us as we pivoted our program.

Say What? Art Terms For Beginners, Part 21

Inspired by the exhibition Reverberations currently on display at the AGGV, our art glossary this quarter explores terminology found among the artworks in our galleries.

AGGV Gallery Shop Reading List: Mindfulness & Slowing Down

By John Manson, Gallery Shop Coordinator

The theme of the Gallery Shop Reading list this quarter is Living in the Present Moment. Inspired by In the Present Moment (our recent publication in collaboration with Haema Sivanesan and Figure-1 Publishing), this list presents books that ask readers to slow down and be more mindful and aware of their surroundings.

A Forecast of Futurisms: Fashion with Meaning

Jaimie Isaac, AGGV’s Chief Curator, is focused on expanding AGGV exhibitions to support and hold space for many voices, experiences, and perspectives. She aims to create a trajectory of inclusiveness, regional reciprocity, and relevance within interdisciplinary practices. As we examine art and artists in our collection and in our exhibitions, Issac’s vision is to create interesting, new, and important conversations that encourage contemporary thought.

Denyse Thomasos: Odyssey, In Conversation with Gaëtane Verna, Sarah Milroy, and Esi Edugyan

On February 10, 2022 the AGGV hosted a virtual online conversation with the curators of the exhibition Denyse Thomasos: Odyssey, Gaëtane Verna, Director of The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, and Sarah Milroy, chief curator at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. They were joined by Victoria based award winning novelist Esi Edugyan who contributed to the exhibition publication. This conversation with Verna, Milroy and Edugyan was an opportunity to hear about Thomasos from a range of perspectives.

Gallery Shop Reading List: Fresh Insight

By John Manson, Gallery Shop Coordinator

The theme of the Gallery Shop Reading list this quarter is Fresh Insight. These titles are all new to the Gallery Shop (or have recently returned) and they each reflect an underrepresented perspective in some way.