British artist
Haroon Mirza
brings
Entheogens
, his first solo exhibition in Canada, to the
January 13, 2017. The exhibit runs until March 19. Haroon is world renowned for his light and sound installations, using a variety of instruments such as household electronics, LEDs, furniture, and video footage creating hypnotizing visual and aural effects.
I am attending the Press Preview January 12th, and interviewing Haroon earlier that week.
Entheogens
(a chemical substance of plant origin when consumed producing psychedelic hallucinations, often for spiritual effect) comprises a series of new and recent pieces linked via a compendium of botanicals, plants such as peyote, magic mushrooms and San Pedro cactus.
Haroon’s work captures images and sounds from the city – São Paulo where it was conceived – combining four videos and eight channels of electric signal, visualized through strips of LED light, and heard via an array of speakers in synchronization.
Electrical current is passed through copper plates and plant forms, such as Amanita muscaria, to create phantom-like images; sculptural assemblages are governed by the ideal growing conditions for Lophophora williamsii (peyote); combinations of recycled furniture, solar panels, lights and various psychotropic plant forms. Guests entering the gallery will notice their movement interrupting the light signals received causing a sensory interplay, similar to the hallucinogenic properties that can occur through ingesting the plant forms.
Haroon Mirza lives and works in London, England. His work has been previously exhibited at the Tate Modern.
is a non-profit public art gallery dedicated to the research, exhibition, education and documentation of contemporary visual art. It is located at 555 Nelson St in Vancouver’s Yaletown neighbourhood. Admission is free.
Haroon Mirza’s work
Mark Abbott is a journalist, writer and editor covering arts and culture. He lives in Vancouver.
Follow Mark @markabbott604