The Olympics are coming to Vancouver in just three weeks and almost no one I know is super thrilled about it. For some, it’s the traffic, for others, it’s the feeling that the only way we’ve been told to help is to “go on Vacation,” “take time off work,” “go to work earlier or later than usual to reduce traffic,” or “don’t drive your car.” It could also be that the City of Vancouver passed a by-law which prohibits the distribution of handbills in designated Olympic zones or lanes, and requires the removal of graffiti or posters that cause a “disturbance… with the enjoyment of entertainment on city land.”
For years leading to the Olympics, we’ve been seeing this “enjoyment disturbing” graffiti all over the city. (I actually quite enjoy them.)
So far, my best friend is the only exception to the city wide Olympic hate-on. It could be that her aunt is Olympic gold medalist Nancy Greene, or it could be that she and her family are generally excitable about winter sports. Truth be told, there is going to be some amazing things happening in Vancouver. If you happen to be in town, there will be some free visual art to look forward to thanks to the Cultural Olympiad, which will be running from January 22 to March 21.
My personal picks?
A fire hydrant on Waterfront Road, at the north end of Main street.
A message on the new bike path outside the Athlete's Village, by the newly constructed 'Habitat Island'.
Ginger Goodwin Way
An exhibition in which visual artists “wrestle” with the contested histories of Albert Ginger Goodwin, a miner who in 1928 was killed by a police constable, leading to the first general strike in Canada’s history.
Jason de Haan: Life After Doomsday
Jason de Haan uses every day objects to offer coping strategies for a post-apocalyptic future.
Isabelle Hayeur: Fire with Fire
In the middle of Canada’s poorest neighbourhood, Isabelle Hayeur will illuminate the windows of a four-story building to connect the conditions of the neibhourhood today to its history.
See more about the Cultural Olympiad at CODE online.
Images by Amanda McCuaig. Top: Graffiti on a construction poster outside the Athlete’s Village.
- Playing with fire in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside
- A Google map [de]tour of Vancouver 2010
- Art Garden on East Hastings: a refuge for the imagination
- VIVO’s Safe Assembly program: Protecting public dissent during the 2010 Olympics
- An Olympic first: Independent media arts groups challenge IOC media monopoly
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
bah, but do we need to see yet another Hipster riding a bike without a helmut on an art site? I agree there is a lot of artist scoping out and tossing out the negative "creative" works since the anouncement of the Olympics debut in Vancouver, but would it not be far more creative then to actually research some of the history, the marketing strategies and the overall process that led up to the 2010 winter games coming here?
Sounds like you're on it MrFrosty! Send us your report when you're done and we'll publish it.
Don't worry, I won't leave you just with graffiti photos, I'll cover some of the art as part of the Cultlural Olympiad as well! If you know of other projects happening during this time that aren't being promoted please let me know!
That's great, Amanda. I'm looking forward to hearing — and seeing — how these art projects pan out during the Olympics.
here's some counter Olympics media from Homeless Nation
http://www.homelessnation.org/en/node/15304