The art of woodblock printing became widespread in Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868) and is best known in the genre of ukiyo-e prints of the period. Prior to this, woodblock printing in Japan was used almost exclusively for reproducing Buddhist texts.
The realm of mythical beasts spans every culture and exists in all our folklore. We not only find them in our intangible heritage, but also in contemporary literature, art, film, science and culture. In the AGGV’s extensive collection of European, North American, First Nations and Asian art, a menagerie of fantastic beasts reveal countless stories.
AGGV Curator Haema Sivanesan is a recent recipient of a Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation research grant in the amount of $150,000. She was also awarded a $50,000 curatorial research fellowship from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. What is Sivanesan working on and why? Hint: it’s infinitely vast with neither a beginning nor an end. Therefore, let’s start with the present moment…
In anticipation of the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria’s building renewal project, our Collections team are faced with the mammoth task of preparing over 20,000 art pieces to be packed up. Allowing our visitors a peek behind the scenes, the LAB Gallery has been transformed into a staging area for the packing up…
In preparation of a future exhibition on Buddhism and contemporary art practices at the AGGV, this issue’s Art Terms post will focus on terms and names associated with this ancient system of beliefs.