Postures in Protest (Jim Deva Plaza)
Public artwork with 6 double-sided lightbox signs
24" x 36" x 6" (61 x 91.5 x 15.2 cm) each
2016
Situated at the Jim Deva Plaza in Vancouver's West End, Postures in Protest is a series of six double-sided lightbox signs that comprise an assemblage of adverbs describing how individuals stage protests in popular uprisings. As modifiers of verbs, these words indicate how specific actions transpire and point to the fortitude of those who speak up against violations of human rights.
Installed at a public site dedicated to the late Jim Deva, a community activist and founder of Vancouver's queer bookstore Little Sister's Book & Art Emporium, the project honours the activist’s advocacy for LGBTQ2+ rights and his battle against censorship, as well as celebrating a long lineage of queer individuals who have fought for recognition and continue to do so around the globe today.
This project was commissioned by Vancouver's West End Business Improvement Association in conjunction with Lumière Festival 2016, and curated by Burrard Arts Foundation. Photos by Dennis Ha.
