Holly Ward

An ideal context for an examination of the competitive nature of group exhibitions is during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. In order to take stock of the current state of artistic interventions in the physical space or institutional workings of a gallery, guest curator Eric Fredericksen brings together an international roster of artists for *An Invitation to An Infiltration*.

In 1996, artist Andrea Fraser criticized the competitive structure of group exhibitions of artists: “Every public juxtaposition of individual artistic positions on panels and in shows which invites viewers to compare, contrast and judge artists against each other reinscribes artists and works in this competitive structure, reducing them at the same time — regardless of intended effects — to their formal or strategic differences.” *An Invitation to An Infiltration* takes that critique as a model, making explicit the competition inherent to group exhibitions. Instead of attempting to solve the problem, the exhibition is designed to exacerbate and examine it. In part, the exhibition questions Fraser’s critique of competition as inherently reductive, posing competition as a productive state of engagement.

More directly, several artists will explicitly address the Olympics via its symbolism, its expressed ideals and its effects on Vancouver and its citizens. Holly Ward’s works read the Olympics as an act of appropriation of the city, which is facing budget cuts in human services and culture alike. Outside the building, Dexter Sinister will cover the windows in a new wallpaper design of linking rings. The pattern represents bronze, a colour created by mixing the five colors of the Olympic rings. Hadley+Maxwell will replicate the base of a Zane, a figure of Zeus erected by penitent athletes caught cheating in the ancient Olympics. And Fia Backström will organize a public conversation between a game theorist and a hockey strategist during the Olympic Hockey finals.

Jordan Wolfson ignores the exhibition's call for competition by presenting his new video Con Leche in a formal screening environment, separated from the rest of the show. Lucy Clout’s piece, *Untitled (eyebrow)*  is a large plank of MDF, painted black and suspended in front of the reception desk. To be able to speak face to face to the person staffing the desk, one must duck under the plank and squeeze between that plank and the desk, moving from separation to closeness. Local artist and curator Jonathan Middleton will donate part of the artist fee due to him as a permanent budget line-item earmarked for drinks to be bought should the Contemporary Art Gallery cease operations. Holly Ward will build a winners podium out of Pepsi cans. Further interventions are slated with other artists to continue throughout the run of the exhibition. Participating artists will engage the exhibition through publications, discussions, and other public programs, alongside their primary artistic contributions. The specifics of any of these projects may also be altered through group negotiation as the project evolves.

Guest Curated by Eric Fredericksen


A photograph of a city street at night, taken from a low vantage point, is overlaid with 7 illustrated Coca-Cola bottles with white liquid. The bottles have bare feet and appear to cross the street.

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A structure resembling a pole vault leans against a wall with the word CANNIBALISM displayed in black text. On the floor, cases of Pepsi are arranged as a three tier podium near a blue table and stools.

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A pole vaulting stand leans against a gallery wall. On the floor, cases of Pepsi displayed as a three tier podium sit near a blue table and stools. A yellow metal fence stands in the hallway behind.

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A long, yellow metal fence stands in the middle of a hallway connecting gallery spaces. The fence stands to the side of the hallway, allowing people to pass through.

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A single channel video work projected on the wall of a darkened gallery. Speakers sit on either side. The video depicts illustrated Coca Cola bottles with feet in front of a graffitied wall.

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A large, eye level plank of black board is suspended in front of a reception desk. A person stands behind the desk, but their head is blocked by the board. A yellow fence stands in the hallway.

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Fia Backström, Lucy Clout, Hadley+Maxwell, Jonathan Middleton, Dexter Sinister, Holly Ward, Jordan Wolfson

An Invitation to An Infiltration

This group exhibition gathers works by six Canadian artists who bring abstraction to the edge of representation. Eli Bornowsky (Vancouver), Eli Langer (Los Angeles), Kika Thorne (Victoria/Toronto), Holly Ward (Vancouver), Geoffrey Farmer (Vancouver), and Derek Sullivan (Toronto) all question the use of abstraction through their own formal explorations. Many of the works directly reference and represent Modernist paradigms. In some ways the works are like caricatures of Modernism, simplifying and exaggerating its familiar and canonized aesthetic concerns. Vivid colours, bold forms, elaborate compositions become tangible objects that relate to intangible ideas, materializing abstract ideas through abstract forms. This investigation into form for form's sake is not to set Modernism up as a foil, but is used to bring out the specific qualities of aesthetic exploration, using form as a viable and particular method to communicate specific ideas.

Eli Bornowsky holds a diploma of Visual Communication: Design and Illustration from the Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton (2001), and a BFA in Visual Arts from the Emily Carr Institute in Vancouver (2005). Bornowsky has participated in solo exhibitions, *In Advance of the Coffee Table Book. Or Reterritorialized Deterritorializations of a Stream of Consciousness* at the Helen Pitt in Vancouver (2003) and *Great Drinker and Chandelier* at the Lobby gallery in Vancouver (2006 as well as group shows including *Chamomile Testerosa* at the 1066 Project Space in Toronto (2003), *Dept* at the Other Gallery, Banff Centre in Banff (2005), and most recently *Way Crafty* at Blanket Gallery in Vancouver (2006). Bornowsky has also performed at various sites including untitled sound pieces at Blim in Vancouver (2004, 2005), and collaboratively with the Tokyo Orthodox Noise Choir at Studio 80 in Tokyo, Japan (2001). Bornowsky lives and works in Vancouver and is represented by Blanket Gallery, Vancouver where he has an upcoming solo exhibition.

Eli Langer was born in Montreal in 1967.  Langer has been exhibiting both internationally and within Canada, including solo exhibitions at Daniel Hug in Los Angeles (2006), Paul Petro Contemporary Art in Toronto (2005) and Platform in London, UK (1999). He has also participated in various group exhibitions at the Helen Pitt in Vancouver (2001), Ben Kaufmann in Berlin (2006) and Raster in Warsaw (2006). He currently lives and works in Los Angeles and Canada.

Geoffrey Farmer has exhibited widely holding solo exhibitions at The Power Plant in Toronto (2005), the Contemporary Art Gallery in Vancouver (2003) and the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto (2002).  He has forthcoming exhibitions scheduled at the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal in Montréal in 2008, Witte de With in Rotterdam in 2008 and the Drawing Room in London, UK in 2007. Selected group shows include the Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst  in Antwerp, Gasworks in London, Fruitmarket Gallery in Edinburgh, Vancouver Art Gallery, Seoul Museum of Art, Melbourne International Biennial and forthcoming at Tate Modern. Farmer lives and works in Vancouver and is represented by Catriona Jeffries Gallery.  He is currently exhibiting Announcements for Art School at the Chelsea Space in London, UK.

Derek Sullivan was born in Richmond Hill, Canada. He received a BFA from York University in 1999, and an MFA from the University of Guelph in 2001. His work has been featured at the 2004 Toronto International Art Fair, as well The Power Plant in Toronto in 2005. His work has also been shown at ARTFirm, Red Gallery, and YYZ in Toronto, as well as exhibitions in Montreal, Vancouver, Shanghai, Berlin and New York. In 2001, Sullivan was the youngest artist awarded a permanent outdoor sculpture commission for the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre’s Sculpture Park at the University of Guelph. He is completing projects for the Art Gallery of York University and Optica in 2007. Sullivan is currently based in Toronto.

Kika Thorne graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design in Media Production and Cultural Theory in 1990. For a decade she has made film and video art which spans the super 8 underground, experimental public access television, and mainstream broadcasting. In the late 90s, Thorne participated in the October and February Group actions against the Ontario Conservative government. She has had solo shows at the Helen Pitt Gallery, Vancouver (2001), Kino Arsenal in Berlin (2003).  Group exhibitions include *A Better Place*, McKenzie Art Gallery (2000); *Substitute City*, The Power Plant (2001); *Zones*, Art Gallery of Hamilton (2003); *25hours*, CCCB, Barcelona (2003); *Metro-Ago-Go*, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto (2004); *Old Habits Die Hard*, Sparwasser, Berlin + touring (2004-6); and *E-Flux Video*, KW, Berlin (2005-7). Based in Toronto, she is completing her MFA at the University of Victoria.

Holly Ward recently received her MFA from the University of Guelph, Ontario. Ward also holds a BA English degree from the University of New Brunswick, and a BFA Interdisciplinary degree from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design.  Her work has been shown in solo shows across Canada and internationally including the Or Gallery in Vancouver and Oeil Du Poisson in Quebec. She has participated in numerous group exhibitions at the Susan Hobbs Gallery in Toronto, Art & Idea in Mexico City, and the VTO Gallery in London. Recently, Ward’s work was featured in *Until Then Then* at Western Front in Vancouver, as well as *How Soon is Now* at Western University ARTLAB in London, Ontario. She currently lives and works in Vancouver.

Essay: “Gasoline Rainbows,” Jenifer Papararo

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Various artworks are installed in a gallery space. Six large-sized two-dimensional works are mounted on the gallery walls. A thin tall sculpture covered with cutout papers stands on the floor.  

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Three graphic designed works are mounted on the gallery walls. On each white canvas, an abstract shape is drawn with the combinations of various coloured cells.  

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Three large abstract paintings are installed on the gallery walls. Overall, they are white paintings on which some strokes of tinted blue and light purple colours are drawn.  

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A large mirror is installed on the grey wall outside the Belkind Gallery. A wooden sculpture that looks like a stack of children’s toys is placed in front of that mirror. 

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CAG’s window spaces display some installation works. Various white cutout geometric shapes are installed behind the glass. All of those shapes cast shadows on the white background. 

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Black and pink fabric are installed in a gallery space. They both are stretched to make tent-like shape. Black fabric is suspended from four corners of ceilings, and pink fabric is suspended from four corners of the floor.

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Eli Bornowsky, Eli Langer, Kika Thorne, Holly Ward, Geoffrey Farmer, Derek Sullivan

Gasoline Rainbows

This publication was produced in 2010 by the Contemporary Art Gallery from the exhibition An Invitation to An Infiltration, held at the Contemporary Art Gallery as part of the Cultural Olympiad Vancouver 2010

 The publication was assembled by Dexter Sinister. Contributions by Fia Backstrom, Lucy Clout, Hadley+Maxwell, Jonathan Middleton, Dexter Sinister, Holly Ward,Jordan Wolfson and Thomas Crow with the essay: Contemporary Art Versus Its Envelope.
The publication also includes an audio CD of the work GAME-SET-MATCH by Fia Backstrom. 


Holly Ward

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