ProgrammingCall for SubmissionsNewsBecome a Member
Rentals + Services
About VIVO
Archive
Video Out Distribution
Donate
Opening Date: Thu, Jul 11, 2019 730pm
With support from Ontario Arts Council
Immersion Grade is a two-person exhibition at VIVO Media Arts Centre. It is a joint presentation with Artists Tegan Moore (London, Canada) and Ryota Sato (Okayama, Japan).
Immersion Grade refers to a type of protective coating that seals the surface from external conditions and weathering from the elements. This suggests the enabling of interaction with foreign objects without the loss of structural integrity and/or identity of its material construction. Through expanded thinking on cinematic environments, Immersion Grade addresses the materiality of a moving image, the climatic qualities of cinematic space, and the spatial contingency of the viewing experience.
A collaborative installation involves crossover between Sato and Moore's works. The installation looks to explore architectural air beams/streams that affect surface movement in the artworks that incorporate light refraction through the use of water vessels. 'Air movers', fans specifically designed for streams of air for maximum circulation also work to agitate how people move through the space.
Moore's ongoing research involves the history of air conditioning and how it was popularized at the site of cinema, marketed as a climatic refuge which enticed people to escape to the theatre during the heat of summer. In reference to this early adoption of the concept of 'climate control', the installation places air circulating devices around the room to unexpectedly effect movements by way of the subjective thermal sensitivities of those who encounter it.
Immersion Grade plays with the position and proximity of the viewer, the atmospheric conditions of cinema viewing space, and the composition of the screen itself as a mode for liveness of both image and encounter. It brings up questions of collaboration and authorship, through the atmospheric play that affects and disrupts distinct artworks.
VIVO Media Arts Centre would like to acknowledge the Ontario Arts Council for their support.
VIVO is located in the homelands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples in a warehouse space at 2625 Kaslo Street south of East Broadway at the end of E 10th. Transit line 9 stops at Kaslo Street on Broadway. From the bus stop, the path is paved, curbless, and on a slight decline. The closest skytrain station is Renfrew Station, which is three blocks south-east of VIVO and has an elevator. From there, the path is paved, curbless, and on a slight incline. There is parking available at VIVO, including wheelchair access parking. There is a bike rack at the entrance. The front entrance leads indoors to a set of 7 stairs to the lobby.
A wheelchair ramp is located at the west side of the main entrance. The ramp has two runs: the first run is 20 feet long, and the second run is 26 feet. The ramp is 60 inches wide. The slope is 1:12. The ramp itself is concrete and has handrails on both sides. There is an outward swinging door (34 inch width) at the top of the ramp leading to a vestibule. A second outward swinging door (33 inch width) opens into the exhibition space. Buzzers and intercoms are located at both doors to notify staff during regular office hours or events to unlock the doors. Once unlocked, visitors can use automatic operators to open the doors.
There are two all-gender washrooms. One has a stall and is not wheelchair accessible. The other is a single room with a urinal and is wheelchair accessible: the door is 33 inches wide and inward swinging, without automation. The toilet has 11 inch clearance on the left side and a handrail.
To reach the bathrooms from the studio, exit through the double doors and proceed straight through the lobby and down the hall . Turn left, and the two bathrooms will be on your right side. The closest one has a stall and is not wheelchair accessible. The far bathroom is accessible.
Tegan Moore (b. Toronto, Canada, 1985) is based in London, Canada. She has a BFA from Emily Carr University (2008) and an MFA from Western University (2014). She recently exhibited at Museum London, Spare Room, Zalucky Contemporary, and CSA Space, and participated in residencies at Tokyo Arts and Space, Mustarinda, and Flaggfabikken (now Aldea). Her practice is informed by how objects and systems work invisibly in the built environment, especially concerning material properties, interior climates, sensory stimuli, energy, and fragility.
Ryota Sato (b. Okayama, Japan, 1980) is an artist currently based in Japan. He graduated from Parsons School of Design MFA Fine Arts program in 2016. His practice spans digital media, video installation, painting, photography, and sculpture. His work explores the relationship between human bodies, landscapes, information media, slippage of nature-culture and the circulation of imagery particularly in relation to image capturing devices.
