Video Commission Residency 2024 Presentation

Prairie Fever

VP is excited to announce an A/V presentation of three new video artworks created by the recipients of the Video Commission Residency for 2024! After the presentation, the works will be shown on our newly installed projection window overlooking the Artspace lobby from September 28 - December 2, 2024.

VCR is a residency for the creation and exploration of experimental screen-based work.

Featuring new work by James Dixon, Ibrahim Shuaib, Natalie Baird and Toby Gillies, please join us for the premiere of these gorgeous new works.

NOTE: The gallery installation/presentation will show the work in a unique way with artists present.

Gallery Presentation is ONE NIGHT ONLY!

Synopsis

Wînipêk - James Dixon

Wînipêk explores Indigeneity within prairie settings while emphasizing feelings of disconnection and desire for kinship with the Land. The film contrasts experiences and landscapes that highlight the cultural dispossession of Treaty territories. It questions coexistence and contemplates the journey of finding our way back home and the enduring connection of where we come from.

Oh Mother, Oh Prairies - Ibrahim Shuaib

"Oh Mother, Oh Prairies" is an exploration of prairie life through the filmmaker's lens in three parts: Acceptance, Observation, and Farewell.

A Beaten Path - Natalie Baird & Toby Gillies

“A beaten path” is a study of urban prairie plant-life living between the cracks–thistles, burdock, plantain, etc–that spent the summer flourishing in surface parking lots and burned out demolition sites. A looping and constant push forward creates interconnecting cycles of growth and death of these creatures and spaces.

About the Artists

James Dixon

James Dixon is an Indigiqueer filmmaker and artist based in Winnipeg. With a BA in Film and Indigenous Studies from the University of Manitoba, James’ style combines abstract collaging and documentary aesthetics, to create work that revolves around his personal process of decolonization. Born in Saskatoon and raised in rural Manitoba, his work is regional, autobiographical and experimental.

Ibrahim Shuaib

Ibrahim Shuaib is a multidisciplinary visual artist currently based in Treaty 1 Territory, Winnipeg. Seeking to understand the existential probes of life he gathers inspiration from the interplay of tranquility and chaos within himself. Continuously pushing the boundaries of his artistic explorations, his works are a series of experiments, exploring diverse topics like the quest of spirituality, concept of duality and realities of time among others, crafting works that are thought provoking and visually captivating. Ibrahim seeks to unravel the layers of his human experience, inviting viewers to join in on a lifetime journey to self discovery

Natalie Baird and Toby Gillies

Natalie Baird and Toby Gillies share an artistic practice rooted in experimentation through drawing, photography, and animation. Together they are drawn to social practice as a way to see people through their artwork, and the potential to magnify individual voices through collective works. Their projects strive to build reciprocal relationships with one another and the natural world through shared art experiences in diverse settings – be it on locked healthcare units, in city parks, or on the sea ice. Most recently they released their short animated documentary Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying, a short meditation on love, grief, and imagination.