Contemporary Art Gallery, Vancouver
555 Nelson Street V6B 6R5 Vancouver, BC, Canada

Now playing in our gallery lobby a central component of Julian=Yi-Jong Hou’s exhibition of the same name, the tracks on can be read in parallel to the digital patterns produced by Hou for CAG’s Façade. Informed by a seven-day Thoth Tarot card reading that prophesied for Hou the experience of the artwork’s own making, the album’s sound is ambient, floating and hypnotic, evoking west coast rain showers, lapping waves and wind rustling through bamboo groves. The record is currently available to buy at the discounted price of $30 until November 22. Purchase at the gallery or online at contemporaryartgallery.ca/sh/julian-yi-jong-hou-grass-drama

#ExhibitionSpotlight | Presented in the street-level windows that wrap our Nelson Street façade is a suite of printed patterns as part of Julian Yi-Jong Hou’s exhibition, . Hou developed this project over a two-year period, guided by a process of sensitivity training involving divination, hypnagogic practices and expanded states of consciousness, which took place alongside (and within) the slow construction of the artist’s backyard studio-shed and garden. These dig...itally rendered patterns were informed by a seven-day Thoth Tarot card reading that prophesied for Hou the experience of the artwork’s own making. In keeping with Hou’s practice in its entirety, this new work proposes a means, in the artist’s own words, of holding together discontinuities, discovering the relationships between them and bridging them, while thinking through considerations such as site, context, politics, history and personal references. On view until January 3, 2021. Book your free visit to the gallery at contemporaryartgallery.ca/book-a-visit. The façade of the gallery is available to view at all hours without an appointment. Image: Julian Yi-Jong Hou, installation view from , Contemporary Art Gallery, July 24, 2020 January 3, 2021. Photography by SITE Photography

Along with our new suite of editions, we’re pleased to present a panel discussion as part of Art Toronto, now available for general audiences to view for free online. Moderated by Althea Thauberger, : brings together artists, Justine A. Chambers, Yasmine Haiboub, Sandra Semchuk and Charlene Vickers to discuss their histories with community and collaborative practices, the circumstances that brought them to the city, and their current projects in a time of social distancing. Watch now online at cag.contemporaryartgallery.ca/ArtToronto

We have new editions! Launching as part of this year's virtual Art Toronto (October 28 to November 8), we're pleased to release six works by four artists from recent and forthcoming CAG programming, including Deanna Bowen, Andrew Dadson, Laurie Kang and Lyse Lemieux. Want to take a look in person? Examples of all editions are installed at CAG now. Find out more at contemporaryartgallery.ca/events/2020-edition-launch

#ExhibitionSpotlight | Presented in our Alvin Balkind Gallery are three meditative video works by Madiha Aijaz (2018), (2018) and (2017)each exploring literature and the politics of language through Karachi’s historic and deserted public libraries. Set in crumbling repositories of traditional knowledge, which the artist frames against the backdrop of the city’s rapidly changing landsc...ape, these works offer a nuanced perspective on the modern ambitions of a country navigating the aftermath of colonialism. Aijaz traces this complexity through the marked linguistic shift from Urdu to English, laying bare the deep interconnectedness of language, history, culture and identity. Her camera captures quiet conversations both amongst librarians and library users, as well as impromptu readings of Urdu literature, which suddenly activate these usually idle spaces. The distinctive stillness of Aijaz’s videos simultaneously draws her viewers into a space of intimate engagement while gesturing self-referentially towards the importance of the medium of photography on the development of the artist’s own filmic language. On view until January 3, 2021. Book your free visit to the gallery at contemporaryartgallery.ca/book-a-visit Image: Madiha Aijaz, , 2018. Single channel video. Courtesy the artist

We have new editions! Launching as part of this year's virtual Art Toronto (October 28 to November 8), we're pleased to release six works by four artists from recent and forthcoming CAG programming, including Deanna Bowen, Andrew Dadson, Laurie Kang and Lyse Lemieux. Want to take a look in person? Examples of all editions are installed at CAG now. Find out more at contemporaryartgallery.ca/events/2020-edition-launch

Next Saturday Join us for our October installment of CAG Reads with artists Gabi Dao and Christian Vistan who have chosen to read . : (2020) and (2020) Both available online, . : (2020) is an open letter written by the artist Paul Maheke at the onset of the pandemic, one that questions the precarity many artists must face by participating within the art system. Their second selection, also inspired by the pandemic, is (2020), a short story written by Pulitzer-finalist and MacDowell Fellow Tommy Orange. Saturday, October 17 from 4 5.30pm PDT. Registration is free but space is limited Find out more below:

#ExhibitionSpotlight | Presented in our B.C. Binning Gallery is Althea Thauberger’s most recent single-channel video work, [ ] (2017), which tells the unique story of the Capri Theatre. Situated along Muhammad Ali Jinnah Road in the centre of Karachi, Pakistan, the Capri is the last remaining historic single-screen cinema house in the city that welcomes general audiences. Its open-plan, modernist architecture and ...advanced screening technology embodied Pakistan’s golden age of cinema and the cultural liberalism that had earned Karachi its nickname as the City of Lights. During the country’s religious and political shifts of the late 1970s and 1980s, the Capri survived numerous violent attacks by bunkering itself behind heavy fortifications. But it continues to thrive, and with 200-rupee ticket prices in the lower seats, the Capri remains accessible to almost anyone who desires to see a film. On view until January 3, 2021. Book your free visit to the gallery at contemporaryartgallery.ca/book-a-visit Image: Althea Thauberger, installation view from , Contemporary Art Gallery, July 24, 2020 January 3, 2021. Photography by SITE Photography

This afternoon, join artist Deanna Bowen and CAG Acting Associate Curator Julia Lamare for a live Zoom event presented by The Vancouver Heritage Foundation discussing Bowen's large-scale public artwork, (2019). The online conversation will take place from 4 5pm PDT and tickets are still available for $10. Register online via The Vancouver Heritage Foundation at www.tickettailor.com/eve/vancouverheritagefoundation/424893

Since its initial showing here in Vancouver last year, Deanna Bowen's exhibition has been on tour across Canada. This past month the exhibition has been on view in Montréal through a joint presentation at OBORO, Groupe Intervention Vidéo (GIV) and Ada X. The galleries are hosting a remote In Conversation event between Deanna Bowen and curator Kimberly Phillips next Thursday, October 15 at 12pm EDT. Find details on the talk and RSVP at oboro.net/en/activity/harlem-nocturne

This month in our remote #OpenStudio, Erin Boniferro from Collage Collage leads us through a puppet making activity inspired by Julian Yi-Jong Hou’s multisensory . Head over to cag.contemporaryartgallery.ca/openstudio to watch the video and follow along as Erin creates a puppet out of paper and cardboard. If you can't find the materials you need at home, we have a limited quantity of free material kits available at the gallerycome by and see Julian Yi-Jong Hou's e...xhibition in person and pick up a kit! Schedule your visit at contemporaryartgallery.ca/book-a-visit This activity is recommended for artists 3 years and up. Adult supervision is recommended for scissor work! Share your puppets with us! @CAGVancouver @CollageCollage

Now available both in the gallery and online, is a new printed takeaway that showcases the individual works from eight artists aged 15 to 19 in , our annual three-week Visual Arts Summer Intensive presented in partnership with Arts Umbrella. This year, participants worked with Hyung-Min Yoon and other guest artists via video discussions, exploring the broad theme of art and everyday life. Responding collectively to the current global state under the COVID-19 pandemic, the participants’ final projects for reflect on the familiar environmentsphysical and otherwisethat we often take for granted. Head over to our online exhibition page at contemporaryartgallery.ca/exhibitions/in-this-space to learn more or stop by the gallery to pick up a free printed takeaway!

We're pleased to announce our October installment of #CAGReads our monthly online book club, this time hosted by artists Gabi Dao and Christian Vistan who have chosen to read . : (2020) and (2020). Both available online, . : (2020) is an open letter written by ...the artist Paul Maheke at the onset of the pandemic, one that questions the precarity many artists must face by participating within the art system. Their second selection, also inspired by the pandemic, is (2020), a short story written by Pulitzer-finalist and MacDowell Fellow Tommy Orange. Join us on Saturday, October 17 from 4 5.30pm PDT for the virtual hangout and discussion. Registration is free but space is limited. RSVP and find links to both online readings at contemporaryartgallery.ca//cag-reads-gabi-dao-and-christia

Next Saturday Join us for our October installment of CAG Reads with artists Gabi Dao and Christian Vistan who have chosen to read . : (2020) and (2020) Both available online, . : (2020) is an open letter written by the artist Paul Maheke at the onset of the pandemic, one that questions the precarity many artists must face by participating within the art system. Their second selection, also inspired by the pandemic, is (2020), a short story written by Pulitzer-finalist and MacDowell Fellow Tommy Orange. Saturday, October 17 from 4 5.30pm PDT. Registration is free but space is limited Find out more below:

Since its initial showing here in Vancouver last year, Deanna Bowen's exhibition has been on tour across Canada. This past month the exhibition has been on view in Montréal through a joint presentation at OBORO, Groupe Intervention Vidéo (GIV) and Ada X. The galleries are hosting a remote In Conversation event between Deanna Bowen and curator Kimberly Phillips next Thursday, October 15 at 12pm EDT. Find details on the talk and RSVP at oboro.net/en/activity/harlem-nocturne

We're back with the second of our remote #OpenStudio activities with Erin Boniferro from Collage Collage This time Erin shows us how materials found around the house can be used to make a diorama inspired by Althea Thauberger’s Head over to cag.contemporaryartgallery.ca/openstudio to watch the video and follow along as Erin creates a three-dimensional diorama of a theatre out of a simple box. If you can't find the materials you need at hom...e, we have a limited quantity of free material kits available at the gallerycome by and see Althea Thauberger’s film in person and pick up a kit! Schedule your visit at contemporaryartgallery.ca/book-a-visit This activity is recommended for artists 5 years and up. Adult supervision is recommended for scissor work! Share your dioramas with us! @CAGVancouver @CollageCollage

Now available both in the gallery and online, is a new printed takeaway that showcases the individual works from eight artists aged 15 to 19 in , our annual three-week Visual Arts Summer Intensive presented in partnership with Arts Umbrella. This year, participants worked with Hyung-Min Yoon and other guest artists via video discussions, exploring the broad theme of art and everyday life. Responding collectively to the current global state under the COVID-19 pandemic, the participants’ final projects for reflect on the familiar environmentsphysical and otherwisethat we often take for granted. Head over to our online exhibition page at contemporaryartgallery.ca/exhibitions/in-this-space to learn more or stop by the gallery to pick up a free printed takeaway!

"Even as institutions struggle with reduced budgets, artists and curators are shaping novel approaches" The Georgia Straight's Robin Laurence takes a look at the Vancouver galleries that are working to bring art to audiences amidst the pandemic. Read the full article, including a thoughtful take on our current exhibition by Madiha Aijaz, here www.straight.com//resourceful-galleries-in-metro-vancouver

With in-person tours still on hold these days, we're pleased to share a series of quick Video Visits this season, offering a variety of perspectives on our current exhibitions. Presented in five languagesEnglish, French, Mandarin, Spanish and Urduthese videos offer short takes on our current exhibitions with Madiha Aijaz, Julian Yi-Jong Hou and Althea Thauberger. Head over to contemporaryartgallery.ca/events/video-visits to take a look.

We're pleased to announce our October installment of #CAGReads our monthly online book club, this time hosted by artists Gabi Dao and Christian Vistan who have chosen to read . : (2020) and (2020). Both available online, . : (2020) is an open letter written by ...the artist Paul Maheke at the onset of the pandemic, one that questions the precarity many artists must face by participating within the art system. Their second selection, also inspired by the pandemic, is (2020), a short story written by Pulitzer-finalist and MacDowell Fellow Tommy Orange. Join us on Saturday, October 17 from 4 5.30pm PDT for the virtual hangout and discussion. Registration is free but space is limited. RSVP and find links to both online readings at contemporaryartgallery.ca//cag-reads-gabi-dao-and-christia

" draws from a rich field of pagan, psychedelic, magic, and Orientalist influences to make a work that is Chinese Canadian without pandering to a white colonial audience." Check out this brilliant review of Julian Yi-Jong Hou's exhibition by The Source / La Source Newspaper writer Rafael Zen. thelasource.com//grass-drama-entering-expanded-states-of-c

TODAY AT 5PM | Join us live on Facebook and Instagram to view a very special performance by artist Kevin Schmidt celebrating the launch of a new publication spanning 18 years of his artistic practice. The performance is presented in collaboration with Kamloops Art Gallery and will be broadcast live on both our Facebook and Instagram pages this afternoon at 5pm. Don't miss out!

For those of you with little ones who are missing our monthly Family Day events, don't worry! We're excited to bring to you the first of our remote Open Studio activities with Erin Boniferro of Collage Collage This month, Erin shows us how materials found around the house can be used to make colourful collages inspired by the work of Madiha Aijaz and her videos and photographs featuring spaces and places in Karachi, Pakistan Head over to cag.contemporaryartgallery.ca/openstudio to watch the video and follow along as Erin creates a mystery room from scrap materials. If you can't find the materials you need at home, we have a limited quantity of free material kits available at the gallerycome by and see Madiha Aijaz’s works in person and pick up a kit! Schedule your visit at contemporaryartgallery.ca/book-a-visit

" draws from a rich field of pagan, psychedelic, magic, and Orientalist influences to make a work that is Chinese Canadian without pandering to a white colonial audience." Check out this brilliant review of Julian Yi-Jong Hou's exhibition by The Source / La Source Newspaper writer Rafael Zen. thelasource.com//grass-drama-entering-expanded-states-of-c

Next Wednesday, we're sharing a special live streamed performance by artist Kevin Schmidt to celebrate the launch of a new publication spanning 18 years of his artistic practice. The performance is presented in collaboration with Kamloops Art Gallery and will be broadcast live on both our Facebook pages on August 26 at 5pm. For those of you in Kamloops who would like to attend the event in person, Kamloops Art Gallery has a limited number of in-studio seats available. Call KAG to reserve your spot at +1 250 377 2400

"Aijaz chooses her scenes carefully they’re quiet, reflective and intimate." John Thomson from Galleries West reviews our current exhibition by Madiha Aijaz, . Read the full review at gallerieswest.ca/magazine/stories/pakistani-portraits