A new documentary, Fanny: The Right to Rock, shares the untold story of the band that was once touted as the next Beatles; but, due to sexist and racist discrimination in the music industry, their legacy has been virtually erased from history.
Read MoreFor many, attending work and school has been from the comforts of home this past year. While rolling out of bed and getting on a video call sounds nice, the media reports that this video call lifestyle may not be so comfortable. With the increase in cosmetic procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic, video calls have evidently changed the way we see ourselves. Displayed from March 18th-27th at the Audain Gallery, Images that Take, Images that Give explore how images—such as our own video call reflections—express agency.
Read MoreSteven Audia’s exhibition 20/2020, a small collection of photographs showing at The James Black Gallery, is a far cry from the show that he had been preparing for pre-pandemic. As with most of the past year, plans have been replaced with something else entirely. A carefully curated showcase of photos taken by Audia from 2010-2020 gave way to 20/2020, a project that grew organically—a quality that translates into the images themselves.
Read MoreA new queen stands tall over downtown Vancouver, and she has something to say.
YWCA Wall for Women | Ola Volo
The queen is the central figure of the Wall for Women, a new mural painted by artist Ola Volo last month in partnership with the YWCA Metro Vancouver. The mural, located on the side of the Hyatt Regency hotel, sheds light on domestic violence and aims to raise funds for women leaving abuse.
Volo’s latest mural stays true to her iconic style, inspired by folk art from her Kazakh background. She uses intricate patterns and bold colour palettes to make her work pop, weaving flora, fauna and strong female characters into empowering yet whimsical visual stories.
The queen represents a survivor rising, reclaiming her power after leaving an abusive situation with her chin lifted toward the sky. She is gently commanding and infused with symbolism. She wears flames and lightning bolts representing her bravery and drive and a tall crown with all-seeing eyes atop her flowing, galactic hair. She is prominently juxtaposed against her shadow as a symbol of what she is leaving behind.
The artwork is striking enough to make passersby stop in their tracks. But at first glance, they may overlook the most unique aspect of the mural: hidden QR codes, subtly embedded into the overall artistic concept.
YWCA Wall For Women Interactive QR code
The QR codes, accessed by taking a picture with a smartphone, route to the YWCA’s website with statistics about domestic violence, resources, and supports. Including a link to donate to the organization’s new housing project for women who have experienced abuse.
The interactive use of QR codes elevates the Wall for Women from artwork to a call to action. It wakes the community up to the pervasiveness of domestic violence and seeks donations for women’s housing, asking us to do something about it.
This is an incredibly important effort for women in Vancouver, where housing affordability, homelessness, and gender-based violence are major intersecting issues.
According to the YWCA, one in three women have experienced domestic violence in Canada, and a woman is killed every six days. Every. Six. Days. Let the gravity of that sink in. These are not just numbers. They are mothers, daughters, sisters and friends.
Intimate partner violence has also increased by 20-30% in some parts of the country during the pandemic. Lockdown measures keep women at home with their abusers, making it more difficult for them to leave and access support.
This rise in domestic abuse has been called COVID-19’s shadow pandemic—a fitting name as intimate partner violence often remains invisible despite its prevalence, discussed in hushed whispers if spoken about at all.
YWCA Wall for Women | Ola Volo
The mural stands in sharp contrast, challenging the hidden nature of domestic violence and forcing it into the public discourse. The sheer size of the mural, towering 42-feet above the street, loudly affirms survivors’ experiences and their visibility. It symbolically encourages women to take up the space they deserve.
The Wall for Women is more than just a mural with a message of hope. It recognizes that without action, hope is only wishful thinking. The fundraising commitment to fulfill the YWCA’s new housing project lends credibility to the mural’s message to survivors: that we see you, we care about you, and we’re here to support you as a community.
And because of that, it leaves me feeling a little bit more hopeful.
If you are experiencing violence or abuse by an intimate partner, please see this list of resources provided by the YWCA.
The 4-minute short film defines, redefines and reclaims the word Black.
Read MoreHaida and Nisga’a carver and artist Luke Parnell explores oral histories, reconciliation, and conceptual art in his latest exhibition at the Bill Reid Gallery. In what marks his first exhibition at the Bill Reid Gallery, Parnell features 7 unique conceptual art pieces, including a still image from his film Remediation, an ethnographic response to Bill Reid’s 1959 documentary about an expedition to salvage historic totem poles from a deserted village on Haida Gwaii.
Read MoreVancouver-based sculptural artist and ceramicist Josephine Lee showcases her latest piece /born ignorant in an abyss of light at the Burrard Arts Foundation (BAF). Located in the garage on the left side of BAF’s entrance, you’ll peep through a glass tile window to view the scintillating piece. Three medium-sized porcelain vessels are laid out on separate cubic blocks forming a triangle and attached to a transparent curvy glass tube. The tube contains a current of electricity that sparks in accordance with a grainy, archival video loop of a house repeatedly blowing up, then becoming whole again.
Read MoreTRANCE, a photography exhibition presented by locals Annie Forrest and Zac Cruz. Their show embodies the hedonistic joy of the dance floor in all its drug-induced glory. It is a difficult feeling to mimic with images alone, but Forrest and Cruz do so with ease.
Read MoreSAD Mag is an independent Vancouver publication featuring stories, art, and design. Founded in 2009, we publish the best of contemporary and emerging artists with a focus on inclusivity of voices and views, exceptional design, and film photography.
