Work-In-Progress (i.e. #WIP) is an AGGV podcast that offers some insight from behind the scenes to curatorial and educational projects and collaborations that could be seen as open-ended or process-based — highlighting some of the experimental and exploratory work that is taking shape both inside and outside of the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria’s physical gallery spaces.
In this episode we are joined by collaborators from the AGGV’s Indigenous Intergenerational Exchange project. This group, which includes 12 participants who are contributors to social justice and frontline activism in their respective communities began gathering bi-weekly in February 2021 to share cultural teachings, critical understanding, and creative processes within a healing online space. Their conversations resulted in an exhibition titled Holding Ground which was on view at the AGGV from July through October 2021.
Our hope is that this podcast episode will help extend the conversations that began with this project beyond the gallery’s physical exhibition spaces, and a way to share the work surrounding this program more broadly with family, friends and communities who might want to learn more.
Learn more about the #WIP Podcast at: https://anchor.fm/art-gallery-of-grea…
Learn more about the Indigenous Intergenerational Exchange project at: aggv.ca/exhibits/archive/holding-ground/
This podcast series is generously supported by a Canada Council for the Arts Digital Now Grant.
The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria is located on the traditional territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən speaking peoples, today known as the Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations. We extend our gratitude and appreciation for the opportunity to live and work on this territory.
Videography and editing by Marina DiMaio.Work-In-Progress (i.e. #WIP) is an AGGV podcast that offers some insight from behind the scenes to curatorial and educational projects and collaborations that could be seen as open-ended or process-based — highlighting some of the experimental and exploratory work that is taking shape both inside and outside of the Art Gallery of Greater V …
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0:00
I feel like so much of what happened in this experience
0:04
of this project with the Indigenous Intergenerational Exchange and the Holding Ground Exhibition,
0:11
there was so much about process,
like the time that it took.
0:15
So, thinking back to when we first started meeting
0:18
in the fall of 2020, actually,
what made you want to be part of this project?
0:26
Yeah, I’ve really been
0:28
doing a deep dive into the institutional relationships with Indigenous peoples and
0:33
kind of making the demand that institutions start to uphold and,
0:40
and direct resources towards Indigenous peoples
rather than continue
0:45
to be extractive, which the historical relationship has been one of complete and utter extraction.
0:51
So the conversations that we had in regards to this exhibition where, how do we make an exhibition,
0:57
how do we structure an exhibition
and an engagement on Indigenous issues
1:02
with Indigenous peoples
that is aligned more with Indigenous needs
1:08
and a true Indigenous expression, not just bringing… like in the past, galleries have brought Indigenous artists,
1:16
but they’ve exhibited them in a completely colonial platform and way of interpreting
1:22
what the works are and how they’re consumed
and who the audience is and how they’re valued.
1:27
And so when we brought in
1:30
Nikki and Marika to be advisors to us
and to help us facilitate a process
1:38
not a product, or the production of a product,
but a process that would question
1:45
colonial ways of bringing Indigenous presence into an institution like the Art Gallery of Victoria.
1:52
And it was really remarkable in doing that
and just setting the groundwork
1:56
by opening up the organization of the program
2:01
to Marika and Nikki as equal participants.
2:06
It completely transformed what our…
what this endeavor actually was.
2:10
So I’m really grateful to have been a part of that because I learned so much by trying to put into practice
2:17
the criticality that I’ve been looking at the relationship with institutions like art galleries and museums, etc.
2:26
in this particular exhibition that was ultimately
put together and run through the course of the year.
2:35
Yeah, the timing of the invitation to collaborate was such a blessing,
2:42
you know, there was a confluence of events that were occurring
2:46
and one of which being this global pandemic
that had really, like, rocked
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our realities and our ability to exist in community
and in connection.
2:56
And also really challenged frontline activism
3:01
about how it could take shape in a safe way amidst a pandemic.
3:06
And the other thing, the other factor that was really significant for me was the culmination
3:13
of two weeks
of occupying the Victoria Parliament in solidarity with
3:19
Wetsu’wet’en, and that was led by Indigenous youth from 34 different nations.
3:26
And what was carried out
3:29
there, although it was framed
3:31
in a really misunderstood way in the media
as an anti-pipeline protest,
3:35
was actually a profound act of sovereignty and ceremony
3:41
and really incredible relationships were forged
3:46
and an alternative space of being and a way of interacting and really building community emerged
3:54
and after police interference
and the arrests of some of the youth
4:00
that movement dispersed and then quite shortly after we went into a lockdown.
4:05
And so to have the opportunity to connect with all three of you and with the support of the art gallery
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to create a possibility, a potential
4:18
of a container to bring… to really uphold
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not only the activism and courage and solidarity
that was demonstrated by youth at the legislature,
4:28
but by Indigenous women for generations and generations, to bring that together.
4:36
It felt like this beautiful, kind of like beam of sunlight during a very, very dark time.
4:43
And the other piece of that
is that bringing together the intersections of,
4:48
you know, activism and land defense and sovereignty movements with art.
4:53
Right? And with storytelling and joy.
4:57
And that was just such a gift
at such an uncertain and difficult time.
5:02
Yeah.
5:03
For me, the invitation to be a part of this project
5:08
came at a time when I was
5:12
choosing to, like, not be involved in very many things.
5:17
But also, one of the main aspects to the project
5:22
that Marianne pitched was the creation of collaborative curtain, which happens to be an art form
5:29
that I have been really studying
and focusing on for the last few years
5:36
and wanting
5:37
to keep that art form alive and healthy in our communities.
5:41
And I’ve been studying
and learning about that in my own community.
5:47
The role and the importance of curtains and the care of them and all of those elements really inspire and excite me.
5:56
So the idea of working on a curtain together seem like just a wonderful, wonderful, healing project to be a part of.
6:05
I also went down and participated for a little bit
with some of the
6:10
ceremony down at ‘the ledge’
6:12
And for me,
6:13
as someone who’s an artist,
usually that processing and digesting involves
6:18
like creative expression involves creating projects
that help to digest and process those things that have happened.
6:27
So yeah, it was just kind of like a perfect fit for me.
6:31
And I’m really grateful that I did agree to be involved because I kind of put the Holding Ground and our process together
6:39
and our commitment to see this through in the best way possible, really like pulled me out of a place of deep inactivity and,
6:47
and got me moving again in the community and with other artists, which I feel really, really appreciative of.
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