Before delving into details of the exhibition, I’d like to discuss the architecture of the Polygon Gallery, which I feel is designed perfectly against the Vancouver skyline. Its sawtooth profile is a nod to the history of the area as a center for shipping and manufacturing. In addition, with its glossy steel cladding, it appears simply as a strange and compelling architectural object, a suitably enigmatic setting for the visually and conceptually complex works of photography on display within. The clean and sophisticated lines are definitely a huge draw to the gallery, combined with the unexpected revolving exhibitions (3-4 a year are showcased). The intimate gallery space has enough glitz to appeal to local and international art enthusiasts, yet it doesn’t try too hard to compete with its breathtaking setting, which includes sea and mountains stretching out in every direction. In fact, on the upper part of the gallery, you can actually step out onto the deck and peacefully absorb the skyline views. In all honesty, I find the Polygon Gallery to be an accessible and underrated gem right on The North Shore.
The Polygon Gallery presents Interior Infinite, on view from June 25 to September 5, 2021.
The curator brilliantly articulated the deeper meaning behind the Interior Infinite Exhibition. “Every single person is a work in progress, with the potential and the courage to change and be changed. Interior Infinite speaks to the capacity for an individual to break free of normative limitations that are defined by a white supremacist, male chauvinistic, heteronormative lens. The exhibition draws attention to the fact that these so-called norms are far from the lived experiences of many people, and that ‘the way things are’ can change with social imagination. We have collectively imagined our present injustices into being; we can just as easily imagine a better, fairer, more inclusive way forward.”
The exhibition features a range of formats, including a sculpture, sound piece, portrait, selection of photographs, video installation and films, which will definitely pique your interest.
It is important to note that the exhibition contains themes of costume and masquerade as strategies for revealing, rather than concealing, identities.
Interior Infinite draws on the spirit of Carnival, a celebration of both radical togetherness and unique self-expression. The vibrant and fluid expressions of identities become an act of resistance to obliteration.
If your schedule permits, be sure to visit the guided tours, which occur on Saturdays and Thursdays to gain unique insight into the exhibitions in a socially distanced manner. Tours take approximately 45-minutes, and you can register beforehand on their website.
“The first Soundsuit was made entirely out of twigs and it was conceived as armor and camouflage for the Black Body against state sanctioned violence. And it was made in 1992 in a direct response to the beating of Black Civilian Rodney King in 1991 by the LAPD.”
A truly thought-provoking quote.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition, especially the distinctive themes of carnivality and how all of the individual artists conspired to create unique looks borne from their own imagination. I like how it challenged the typical stereotypes or social constrictions of what normality looks like, to create really outlandish works of art that stay etched in your mind long after the bling and blitz of the carnival has faded away.
As the curator said, “And so if the world is always in a fluid and malleable state, according to the identities of people who inhabit it, then it falls to us to collectively imagine better ways forward and I think that having the visual reference to that and expanding our social imagination is key to that.”
As with most art, you have to experience it in person to truly understand the meaning and impact behind it.
Check out The Polygon Gallery for more information, and be sure to view the exhibitions that pique your interest.