Kevin Schmidt: We Are the Robots
Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby, VancouverBritish Columbia–based artist Kevin Schmidt draws on conceptual and performance art while embodying the do-it-yourself (DIY) sensibilities of an amateur inventor. Kevin Schmidt: We Are the Robots begins with his work DIY Hifi (2014), presented as a North American premiere at the Gallery. Visitors can bring in their own vinyl and enjoy hearing it in this makeshift audiophile listening room comprised of gigantic stereo speakers, a kit tube amp and furniture built by Schmidt. Anyone passing by the Gallery can see another of Schmidt’s interactive inventions: the fluorescent, multi-coloured LED light strips aligning the Gallery’s façades that change hue in response to notes played on electronic keyboards installed in the third floor galleries. These works and more are ready to be encountered as part of this interactive exhibition.