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Contemporary Art Gallery

555 Nelson Street
Vancouver, Canada
Open from Tuesday to
Sunday 12 pm → 6 pm

Admission always free
ArchiveExhibition
15 May 99until26 Jun 99

WAR ZONES: Present Tense

Jochen Herz, John Scott

555 Hamilton St

A large black and white drawing is installed on the gallery wall. A black airplane is drawn above the word “SR71." This drawing is placed in between a pair of photographs of human eyes.

WAR ZONES presents photo and media-based artwork concerned with situations of conflict in the late twentieth century. The works, by an international selection of contemporary artists, are divided into three sections: Siting Conflict, Present Tense and Bearing Witness. Present Tense explores images of conflict involving spectacle, gender relations, terrorism and apocalyptic visions.

John Scott's gritty most evil vehicle, an actual motorcycle that has been altered into an aggressive war machine with a hologram and video projection, expresses a relentless mechanized warfare which encompasses past, present, future, fiction and reality, both in its technique and in its ominous visionary presence. In contrast, Jochen Gerz's three large photo works attest to the human spirit, utilizing ironic confluences of history and the everyday to express the complexity of the effect of war on our common humanity. John Scott lives and works in Toronto, and Jochen Gerz lives and works in Paris.

WAR ZONES is a program of exhibitions and special events organized by Presentation House Gallery in collaboration with the Contemporary Art Gallery, Artspeak Gallery, Access Gallery, Vancouver Art Gallery, Pacific Cinematheque, and Veterans Against Nuclear Arms.

Sitting Conflict April 17 - May 30, 1999 at Presentation House Gallery

Present Tense May 15 - June 26, 1999 at the Contemporary Art Gallery and Artspeak Gallery June 5 - July 3, 1999 at Access Gallery

Bearing Witness June 5 - July 18, 1999 at Presentation House Gallery

This exhibition is funded by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Vancouver Sun, the Vancouver Foundation, VanCity Savings Credit Union, Marine Printers, and Preferred Service Customs Brokers.

Guest Curated by Karen Henry and Karen Love

Two black and white photo collage pieces are installed on the gallery walls. The left one shows some X-ray images, and the one on the right shows a building. Some texts are written over the images.
Two black and white photo collage pieces are installed on the gallery walls. Accompanying those abstracted figures, large-font texts that read “GEISTES, WAFFEN” and “I, NITE & WE” are displayed.
A big black motorbike is installed on a gallery floor in front of the wall, on which black and white drawings of eyes are projected. A blurred photograph of a man’s face is attached to the bike's front.
A black motorbike is installed in the gallery. An upside-down face shield is attached on top of the bike’s front, on which a man’s portrait photograph is attached. Handles are missing from this bike.
A large drawing is installed on the gallery wall next to the motorbike. A black airplane is depicted on the paper, which is placed in between a pair of photographs of human eyes.
A black motorbike, a drawing of black airplane in between a pair of black and white photographs of human eyes, and a silver gun are installed in a gallery space.
A silver revolver gun is framed in black and installed on a gallery wall. The word, WITNESS is carved on a small silver plaque nailed to the frame. A fake human eyeball is inlaid in the grip.
A large black and white drawing is installed on the gallery wall. A black airplane is drawn above the word “SR71." This drawing is placed in between a pair of photographs of human eyes.
Two black and white photo collage pieces are installed on the gallery walls. The left one shows some X-ray images, and the one on the right shows a building. Some texts are written over the images.
Two black and white photo collage pieces are installed on the gallery walls. Accompanying those abstracted figures, large-font texts that read “GEISTES, WAFFEN” and “I, NITE & WE” are displayed.
A big black motorbike is installed on a gallery floor in front of the wall, on which black and white drawings of eyes are projected. A blurred photograph of a man’s face is attached to the bike's front.
A black motorbike is installed in the gallery. An upside-down face shield is attached on top of the bike’s front, on which a man’s portrait photograph is attached. Handles are missing from this bike.
A large drawing is installed on the gallery wall next to the motorbike. A black airplane is depicted on the paper, which is placed in between a pair of photographs of human eyes.
A black motorbike, a drawing of black airplane in between a pair of black and white photographs of human eyes, and a silver gun are installed in a gallery space.
A silver revolver gun is framed in black and installed on a gallery wall. The word, WITNESS is carved on a small silver plaque nailed to the frame. A fake human eyeball is inlaid in the grip.