Vancouver has a long history of protest and activism, this month the Museum of Vancouver (MOV) examines this legacy with the new exhibition; City on Edge: A Century of Vancouver Activism.
The new photo-based exhibition will be on display at MOV from September 28, 2017 to February 18, 2018. The multi-media collection features 650 photographs of demonstrations, occupations, riots, blockades, and strikes from the early 1900s to the present day. Events like the race riots of 1907 to the recent Kinder Morgan protests. In addition, visitors will find large digital projections, short films, and animated sounds of protest rallies and choirs, inviting the public to engage with and think about the impact of grassroots activism in their lives and the times when the city showed up, stood up, and rallied for change, or exploded in anger.
credit: Stan Williams – Vancouver Sun
“Images of street demonstrations are uniquely gripping and beautiful. They highlight the agency of people in challenging the status quo and effecting social change,” explains Viviane Gosselin, City on Edge Co-Curator and Director of Collections & Exhibitions at MOV. “Several events depicted in the exhibition remind us that laws and policies that we often overlook today are the result of citizens taking their concerns to the street.”
credit: Ralph Bower – Vancouver Sun
“The photographs reveal a wide range of social and political issues throughout Vancouver’s history,” adds Kate Bird, Co-Curator of City on Edge. “Some protests, especially those regarding affordable housing, urban development and heritage protection are hyper-local, while the peace and environmental movements reflect a more global activism. The powerful act of marching together with a shared purpose gives people a sense of community engagement with their city, province, country, and the world.”
Museum of Vancouver (MOV) is located at 1100 Chestnut St, at Vanier Park. City On Edge: A Century of Vancouver Activism runs September 28, 2017 until February 18, 2018. Permanent exhibits run continuously throughout the year.