Waste Land aptly describes the experience I had of visiting an incredibly metaphor rich exhibition space in a house slated for demolition on Fifth Street in Victoria, BC. I didn’t know what to expect, but was in awe of the curation, effort and creativity expressed for a two consecutive weekend show.
Kudos to UVic education students Kate Brooks-Heinimann and Kay Gallivan for their vision of Waste Land and Aryze Development for giving artists and students free reign of the house to create an incredibly unique installation where each room represented different aspects of our global predicament: from a fish farm room to a forest fire and much more.
The setting bridged communities, age demographics, backgrounds and worldviews, and offered space for collectively grappling with the important issue of climate change, what to do about it, and how to manage all the emotions that naturally emerge when confronting the complexities of our modern day. Waste Land featured reclaimed materials, murals, soundscapes, multimedia exhibitions and live performances from hip hop and DJ shows to folk music and poetry.
To learn more contact wastelandclimateanxiety@gmail.com
