UnderCurrents is a project supported by a study group made up of 7 experimental artists tasked with the mandate to research, explore, study, and learn about BIPOC experimental artists working, based, and/or living in the lower mainland in BC from 1970 to 2020. The purpose of the project is to ensure that the important histories and works of these artists is recognized, documented, and not forgotten.
The project was inspired by our experiences as a group noticing that pre-dominantly accessed existing documentation about experimental art tends to focus on white male “pioneers” in experimental practices. To work differently in the present, we feel that we must honour those BIPOC artists that have come before us.
UnderCurrents is in its research phase but we hope for the project to become a collection of stories, essays, and thought pieces representing a selection of Indigenous and racialized experimental artists from Vancouver’s history, 1970 – 2020.
The project study group is:
- Aryo Khakpour
- Bopha Chhay
- Natalie Purschwitz
- Paul Wong
- Whess Harman
- and project leads/study group participants Anju Singh, and Roxanne Nesbitt.
If you have a suggestion for Indigenous or racialized experimental artists from Vancouver’s history that you’d like us to add to our research project, please send us a message!
