Gathering Rain at The Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden

We have begun installing our work in the garden, working rain or shine. Robin Ripley's piece is adjacent to the Room of One Hundred Rivers. On Saturday it appeared to be gathering sunlight rather than rain.

 This gorgeous woven willow snake looms in the water at the center of the garden. It was created by lead artist Alastair Heseltine and volunteers.

Peter Courtemanche is in the process of creating his interactive sound installation.

 Robin has worked with a steady stream of garden visitors to create watercolor art that is builds an awareness of just how much water falls in Vancouver and makes us more concious of our daily water use.

Yesterday Robin's cloud was drenched with rainfall.

DJ Don Chow recorded my improvisations and some of the songs we'll be using in The Starling Cloud Choir. He'll be creating his own remix which you can enjoy this Saturday at the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden just after the choir performs at 3 pm.

If you are in the neighborhood today, drop by the garden to see three of the artists at work: Peter Courtemanche, Robin Ripley, and Diana Burgoyne.

Rain Labs and Rain Gatherers Opening

Drop in Rain Labs continue at the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden Wednesday March 13, and Thursday March 14. You can chat with the Second Site artists as they are installing their pieces in the garden. (The pieces will all be up for the opening, but until then, they are works in progress.)

Then Saturday, March 16th it's the opening! The opening starts at 2 pm. The choir will warm up at 2:30 p.m. and then we will perform at 3 p.m. After the performance, DJ Don Chow will perform a remix of some of the recordings we did today and in the class at Laura Secord Elementary. All the Second Site artists will be in attendance and you can talk to them about their work.

The Rain Gatherers

 Here's the information on the Second Site show that includes my project the Starling Cloud Choir. I feel so excited to be working among these talented artists. As I write this the rain is pouring down in sheets and so I must remind you our events will happen RAIN or SHINE and will be MORE interesting in the rain. So get some good rain gear sorted and take solace in the fact that their is a lovely heated room at the garden where you can warm up with hot tea.

 "The Rain Gatherers" - In March and April of 2013, Second Site will
work with rain collecting, "rain power" and rain sensors at the Dr.
Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. Join us for Workshops + Lab
Sessions (March 9, 10, 12, 13, 14), an Exhibition opening and birdsong
performance (March 16), and a Tour + Artist Talk + Ideas Session
(March 23).

http://www.secondsitecollective.net/

The show will feature work by Diana Burgoyne, Don Chow, Peter
Courtemanche, Robin Ripley, Matt Smith, and Lori Weidenhammer.

Second Site collective is a group of artists (mostly from Vancouver,
Canada) who create and present electronic art (sound, kinetics,
robotics, primal circuitry, sculpture) in public spaces. The
collective is particularly interested in green spaces - parks,
gardens, areas of urban agriculture, beaches, and "urban wilderness".
The art created by Second Site causes the audience to do a "double
take", transforming a familiar space into a "meta-site". A meta-site
is a place where art has created a heightened sensory experience. It
causes a sense of curiosity and enchantment in the viewer. A meta-site
is a place where one hears a set of sounds behind the expected sounds,
where familiar sites are remapped and re-inscribed with artistic
inventions.


Rain Lab - March 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 (10:30 am to noon + 1 pm to 3:30 pm)
Exhibition Opening - March 16 (at 2 pm, performance at 3 pm)
Tour + Artist Talk + Ideas Session - March 23 (at 1:30 pm) Hosted by
"Group of X"