Robert Hengeveld, Kentucky Perfect, 2010

Greenw∞sh

Dates: June 10 to July 23, 2010

Artists: Kyath Battie, Rachel Evans, Scott Evans, Robert Hengeveld, Marlene Jess, and Xane St Phillip

Opening: Friday, June 10, at 7:30 p.m.

Conversation with artists: Saturday, June 11, at 2:00 p.m.

The summer of 2010, Open Space investigated our complicated relationships to the natural world in a series of artists’ projects. The urban biome is overrun with greenish initiatives, proposals, visions, solutions, and the odd scam. Greenw**sh shifted the diversity of habits, philosophies, and attitudes toward community ecosystems that shape daily cultural practices: eating, having fun, getting around, gardening and yard care obsessions, and solving the simple problem of finding a free drink of water downtown. At Open Space, reviewed our own sustainable practices this summer. This was a fecund, and at times weedy, summer of conversations and artists’ projects:

• Xane St Phillip (Victoria) managed a studio devoted to the evolution of a green wall proposal.
• Robert Hengeveld (Toronto) examined the lawn as a technological construct.
• Scott Evans (Victoria) was artist-in-residence at the Greater Victoria Compost Education Centre and Open Space, where his process-orientated work evolved during the residency.
• Rachel Evans (Victoria) choreographed an arduous walk, Prove it like a Penguin, that mobilized the human penchant to anthropomorphize animals.
• Artist-cartographer Marlene Jess mapped the current and extinct sources of drinking water in downtown Victoria.
• Kyath Battie (Toronto) drew us into digital geographies and landscapes, choosing an iconic single-tree image.

During the exhibition a scrap was constructed by guests of the show. A scan of the completed book is available for download here Greenwash Scrap Book.pdf

Schedule of Events

June 10

Opening 7:30 p.m.
Marlene Jess, H2OMG stall, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Centennial Square.
Robert Hengeveld, artist talk, 7:30 p.m. at Open Space.

June 14

Xane St Phillip, artist talk, 7:00 p.m. at Open Space.

June 18

Marlene Jess, H2OMG stall, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. near the Tourist Information Centre.
Xane St Phillip, Living Walls : a comprehensive introduction (Class 1), 3:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. at Open Space.

June 25

Marlene Jess, H2OMG stall, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Beacon Hill fountain by the Watering Can.
Xane St Phillip, Living Walls (Class 2), 3:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. at Open Space.

July 2

Rachel Evans, Prove it like a Penguin, 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. starting at Open Space.
Marlene Jess, H2OMG stall, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Dallas Rd. Dog Park.

July 8

Marlene Jess, H2OMG stall, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Douglas St. and Courtney St.

July 9

Xane St Phillip, Living Walls (Class 3), 3:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. at Open Space.

July 15

Marlene Jess, H2OMG stall, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Harris Green Village on Yates St.

July 16

Xane St Phillip, Living Walls (Class 4), 3:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. at Open Space.

July 22

Scott Evans, artist talk, 7:30 p.m. at Open Space.

July 23

Marlene Jess and Rachel Evans, artist talk, 11:00 a.m. at Open Space.
Xane St Phillip, Living Walls (Class 5), 3:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. at Open Space.