Greener Pastures

Artists: Marina Roy and Abbas Akhavan

Date: July 12 to 17, 2002

Artists' Talk: July 13

In Greener Pastures, Marina Roy and Abbas Akhavan set out to explore and question the identity of place, the economy of consumption, and the packaging of cultural experiences in Victoria's tourism industry. Two videos, Bombay Sapphire and Royal Victoria Security, were projected on a continuous loop in a darkened area of the gallery. The installation deliberately utilized iconic items connected to Victoria's colonial history. Visitors were able to seat themselves on an old mattress which was placed on a rolled out bed of grass on the gallery floor. They were then invited to sip tea from fine china while they viewed the videos. In other words, it was a whole new way of experiencing "high tea" in what is often known as the "Garden City" - just don't expect the Queen to be there.