Send in the Clowns: The Circus in Prints

Send in the Clowns features a selection of video and graphic works exploring the theme of the circus in historical and contemporary art. The exhibition includes pieces by Picasso, Chagall, Dame Laura Knight, along with Columbian artist Maria Fernanda Cardoso’s highly entertaining video work, Flea Circus, from the AGGV video collection. The exhibition, presented in collaboration with the National Gallery of Canada, parallels the exhibition Circus Magicus, at the Royal BC Museum.

Jade

The Ultimate Treasure of Ancient China

Jade is no ordinary stone to the Chinese. It has been worked and revered in China for use as sacred objects, for treasure, and for decoration and ornament since Neolithic times. Chinese emperors valued jade even more than Western kings did gold and silver. For the rulers of China, it became not only a reflection…

Jade: The Ultimate Treasure of Ancient China

Jade is no ordinary stone to the Chinese. It has been worked and revered in China for use as sacred objects, for treasure, and for decoration and ornament since Neolithic times. Chinese emperors valued jade even more than Western kings did gold and silver. For the rulers of China, it became not only a reflection of beauty but also a symbol of wealth and authority truly it was the ultimate treasure of ancient China.

Jade was given many mythical powers including that it was a protective agent against decay. Complete jade suits were made to fit the corpses of high-ranking aristocrats. The jade suits were sewn together with gold, silver, or bronze thread depending on the rank. The 2nd century BCE mortuary jade suit of Princess Dou Wan, which is in this exhibition, is composed of 2,156 plates of jade sewn with 703 grammes of gold thread. It has been estimated that it would take an expert jadesmith of the Han dynasty more than ten years to complete a single suit.

This exhibition is comprised of 120 pieces and sets of jade from the People’s Republic of China. Most pieces are from important archaeological digs. The jade items date from Neolithic times (3rd millennium BCE) to the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). This exhibition is the finest jade collection to ever go on tour from China.

Memoirs: Transcribing Loss

Memoirs: Transcribing Loss features photography, installation and video works by contemporary artists who explore the subjects of nostalgia, memory and loss. Artists Christian Boltanski, Mary Kavanagh, Arnaud Maggs, Betty Goodwin and Patrick Traer investigate personal and collective history, ritual and cultural experiences. The artists employ the histories of minimalism and conceptual art in their approach to their materials and subject matter. The result is a powerful and ambiguous product, which leaves room for the inscriptions of various personal, social and cultural experiences.

Close Up: Contemporary Art From Taiwan

Close-up: Contemporary Art from Taiwan presents an exhibition of the work of eight contemporary artists, representing a broad spectrum of Taiwanese contemporary art from painting, photography, video and mixed media. The work of these artists deals with aspects of the history, culture, politics and social milieu which make up contemporary life in Taiwan. The exhibition explores the rich, if sometimes troubled, history of Taiwan, and its colonial past through to its present status as an economic powerhouse. Co-curated by Greg Bellerby and Ying-Ying Lai, the exhibition is a collaboration between the Charles H. Scott Gallery and the Taipei Fine Arts Museum.

The Beaver Hall Women Painters and their Contemporaries

The Drury Gallery features work by members of the Beaver Hall Women Painters, artists and long-time friends who met as students at the Art Association of Montr?al (now the Montr?al Museum of Fine Arts) between 1902 and 1924. Peers and colleagues of the Group of Seven, their lives and works have been enjoying renewed interest…

The Acerbic Emily: Illustrations by Emily Carr from the Collection of the British Columbia Archives

Emily Carr is internationally acclaimed for her powerful views of the rainforest, depictions of totem poles, and award-winning books. She is not as broadly known for her acerbic wit as is seen in the sketches included in this small exhibition.

Twenty works on paper, from the collection of the British Columbia Archives, provide further insight into…

;rapt

Saito & Sekino

Two Japanese Woodblock Print Masters

Japan's 20th century prints are amongst the highest calibre in the world, and command the admiration of connoisseurs and collectors internationally. These prints have developed from a rich Japanese printmaking tradition, which dates back several centuries….