This community engaged project, Converse, led by three Art is Land Network artists, speaks through the persona of plants thriving within our local environment. Within the historical languages of Vancouver’s downtown East- side, Converse, presents a series of public celebrations, ephemeral installations and workshops exploring native and medicinal plants.
Haruko Okano presents two works; Meditation on Water and Meditation on Land reflecting the multi-cultural and linguistic roots of this unique area. Her installations include Chinese, Japanese and First Nation texts embedded into the landscape.
Nicole Dextras’ Urban Botanicals, constructed from leaves, demonstrate plant identifiers meandering throughout the garden for visitors to discover.
The Travelling Apothecary Tea Room created by Marina Szijarto celebrates Summer Solstice through participatory plant communication workshops, community conversations, ambient music and tea. She invites park visitors to contemplate their visions of plants within this urban oasis through Frames of Reference meditation sculptures.
Converse activates as the final group of installations and community interactions for Art is Land Network CONDUIT, a one-year project of engagement with the plantings and architecture of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Public Park and its surrounding communities