Jennifer Pickering

Picto Prophesy Project – Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art

Exhibition – Picto Prophesy  Project
Opening Reception: Friday February 3 at 7pm
Co-curated by Jennifer Pickering and Tracey Kim Bonneau

Showing from February 3 through March 17, Picto Prophesy features the work of Ullus Collective members Mariel Belanger (Syilx), Tracey Kim Bonneau (Syilx), Chris Bose (Nlaka’pamux), Bracken Hanuse Corlett (Wuikinuxv and Klahoose) and Warren Hooley (Syilx) along with guest artist and mentor Cease Wyss from the (T’Uy’Tanat) of the Skwxw’u7mesh Nation. During the opening reception, the artists will be joined by Indigenous / Traditional Ecological Knowledge Keeper of the Syilx Nation Richard Armstrong who will share his knowledge and expertise.

The Picto Prophesy Project is an examination of prophecies inviting viewers to engage in a discourse about Indigenous dream culture and visions. While Mayan prophecies may have caught the interest of popular culture, their rendering is almost invariably stereotypical and unproductive. Picto Prophesy takes a very different approach to the theme of prophecy and its role in social life and ethics of Indigenous communities. Using location-based artworks and GPS technology, the collective integrates audio, video and new media into the land. This innovative approach builds on the tradition of storytelling using pictographs, rock landmarks, Totem Poles and Story Poles.

Kelowna Capital News

 

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Picto Prophesy Project: Launch


Opening November 25 at the En’owkin Centre (189 Green Mtn Rd, Penticton BC) and online at React2012.

The Picto Prophesy Project supports the Ullus Collective in the creation of location-based artworks using GPS technology to integrate audio, video and new media into the land. This innovative approach builds on the tradition of storytelling using pictographs, rock landmarks, Totem Poles and Story Poles.

Participating artists include: Victoria Baptiste, Mariel Belanger, Tracey Kim Bonneau, Chris Bose, Bracken H’anuse Corlett and Warren Hooley. Senior artist Cease Wyss will participate as a guest artist and mentor. Indigenous/ Traditional Ecological Knowledge Keeper, Richard Armstrong, will also share his knowledge and expertise.

The Ullus is an Indigenous collective based in Penticton that brings together artists to share knowledge, build skills and develop innovative projects. Funding for the project is gratefully provided by the Canada Council for the Arts.

Picto Prophesy is curated by Jennifer Pickering and Tracey Kim Bonneau.

Media: Penticton Western News, Kelowna Capital News

 

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Unpacked 2

I exhibited this floating art installation from July 14 – 30, 2011 on Okanagan lake. Working with suitcases brings up recent histories of travel, circulation and exchange. The holes cut through the suitcases light up, creating moon-like reflections on the water. The inner fabrics add colour and occasionally a 1970′s floral pattern. This work is especially exciting is when a storm hits.

I found all these suitcases when I first moved back to the Okanagan in 2004. The second hand stores were full of them. Why did people hold on to them for so long? Were they reminders of past trips, a gift or simply forgotten in storage? They were clearly meaningful to be kept around for the past 30- 40 years.

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GeotagArt.com

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Geotagart.com is a project I developed and curated that links artworks to geophysical locations outside the gallery, connecting wireless audiences to video, music, sculpture and painting. The exhibition runs from June 10 – October 31.

With over 300 visitors to date, GeotagArt brings the art out of the gallery so you can explore art and ideas in the places you like to spend time; on the lake, in parks, and in the city.

Participating artists include members of the Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art and the Ullus Collective: Victoria Baptiste, Mariel Belanger, Sue Bizecki, Tracey Bonneau, Jarod Charzewski, Levi George, Warren Hooley, James Masz, John Terbasket and David Wilson.

Media Links: Kelowna Capital News June 11, 2011, Kelowna Capital News August 18, 2011.


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Picto Prophesy Project

I am currently working as the curator and fundraiser for the Picto Prophecy Project and had the pleasure and privilege of spending the weekend with the participants at the En’owkin Centre in Penticton.

The Picto Prophesy Project supports the Ullus Collective in the creation of location-based artworks using GPS technology to integrate audio, video and new media into the land. This innovative approach builds on the tradition of storytelling using pictographs, rock landmarks, Totem Poles and Story Poles. The Picto Prophesy Project will be an entertaining and insightful examination of prophesies in the year 2012. Access to the collaborative work will be available through the En’owkin Centre and online beginning in October 2011.

Participating artists include: Victoria Baptiste, Mariel Belanger, Tracey Kim Bonneau, Chris Bose, Bracken H’anuse Corlett and Warren Hooley. Senior artist Cease Wyss will participate as a guest artist and mentor. Indigenous/ Traditional Ecological Knowledge Keeper, Richard Armstrong, will also share his knowledge and expertise.

The Ullus is an Indigenous collective based in Penticton that brings together artists to share knowledge, build skills and develop innovative projects. Funding for the project is gratefully provided by the Canada Council for the Arts.

Media links: Penticton Western News

 

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The Mars Moon Project

Did you ever hear the story about how Mars was going to be so close to the earth that it would appear to the naked eye at the same size as the Moon? This idea started circulating in 2003 and is revisited every August when Mars reaches its closest orbit to the Earth. This idea is unique among urban legends because it does not consider events in urban space, but rather perpetuates an understanding of something remote – Mars as big as the Moon! This has entered popular imagination and returns each year, circulating through social media and word of mouth. As a legend, this narrative exists through a complex set of relationships where, society, science and knowledge intersect.

This installation is a collaboration between myself and artist Sean Newton. The show is the first in a series of collaborative projects planned on the same theme. Mars Moon Project: Ajijic  runs until April 30, 2011 at the Centro Cultural de Axixic.

About Sean:
Sean Newton studied at the Theatre Arts Performance & Design Program at Douglas College and painting and photography at the Vancouver School of Art (Emily Carr College of Art & Design). Through the early 80’s he exhibited in a number of group shows while living in Europe, and became a regular photographic contributor to the International Herald Tribune, A Touch of Paris and other periodicals. Upon returning to Canada, Sean ran a successful business creating hand-painted clothing and matching acrylic jewelry, exhibiting textile art and paintings in individual and group shows. He is currently the General Manager of Caravan Farm Theatre, one of Canada’s premier professional outdoor theatre companies, located in Armstrong, British Columbia.

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