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Exhibition ~ Urbanarium Festival 87
October 2 to 17, 1987
Urbanarium Development Society
Old Motor Vehicle Testing Station
1740 West Georgia
Vancouver Canada
"This exhibition is a test case, an idea fragment, for a notion which is presently "under construction" in Vancouver. The Urbanarium Development Society is working on finding a facility for further exploration into the complexities and possibilities of life in the city. We Call this facility the Urbanarium."
From the exhibition catalogue.
Catherine Alkenbrack curated this wide ranging exhibition and forum on urban change while the last buildings from Expo 86 were being raised from the shores of False Creek. The idea was to bring together architects, artists and community planners into a dialogue about Vancouver's future with the hopes of establishing a permanent centre for exploring change in the urban environment. This lofty goal lasted about for about two weeks during the run of the show.
As a kind of model for urban renewal, Urbanarium was held in the soon to be bulldozed old British Columbia Provincial Motor Vehicle Test Station. Art installations and architect concepts were posted around the partially demolished interior and a forum site was set up for a series of public presentations.
A 44 page newsprint catalogure was published to accompany the proceedings with writings by Abraham Rogatnick, Russell Keziere and Martin Lewis. See Henri Robideau's catalogue entry:
Read the Globe and Mail review:
Vancouver Land Of Contrasts was created as a commission for the Urbanarium Festival 87 theme "Lost/Unbuilt Vancouver." 4 feet high by 30 feet long, it is made from 33 black and white gelatin silver resin coated photographic prints taped to white wrapping paper and inscribed with hand written text.
Artists
Marian Penner Bancroft
Kati Campbell
Gerogiana Chappell
Todd Davis
Mary Filer
Mark Grady
Arni Runar Haraldsson
Jeannie Kamins
Deborah Klyman-Mowczan
James Klyman-Mowczan
Warren Murfitt
Michelle Normoyle
Henri Robideau
Harold Spence-Sales
Alan Storey
Firms and Architects
Richard Henriquez– Richard Henriquez
Arthur Erickson– Haig Kouyoumdjian, Louis Creuer, Jim Boldt, Peter Sickert
Arthur Erickson– Brian Dust
Thompson Berwick and Pratt– Jim Nicholls, Bill Pechet, Andrew Rozen, Casey Pechet
Unaffiliated– David McIntyre, Hamish Munro
Bing Thom– Bruce Haden, Rosemary Crookson
Thomas Mawson– Doug Frankson, Dale Richard
Roger Kemble– Frank Stebner
Urban Highways– Astrid Drikitis, Erika Gerson, Katie Gerson, Marnie Healy
Arthur Erickson– Julie Hein, Scott Hein
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