React 2010, curated by Arthur Schwimmer, Jason Baerg and Jennifer Pickering, provided a forum for the many artists who did not get an opportunity to contribute to the 2010 Cultural Olympiad. React2010.com showcased the creative works of artists from the east coast to the west coast of Canada; displaying their art, and their opinions, to the world. Artistic works include painting, performance, photography, poetry, installation, 2 second life performances, 2 original songs, posters, sculpture and video. Participants received national media attention in the Globe and Mail and provincial coverage in the Straight.com, CBC radio and CBC online. Artists engaged in a creative cultural conversation, which reflected diverse cultural values surrounding the Olympics.
The React2010.com project was also presented in the Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art and in Vancouver at three artist-run-centre sponsored events during the Olympic games. Nine artists from the react2010.com website had their work displayed in the Alternator’s main gallery. The in-gallery exhibition featured works by Judy Cheung, Liz Solo, Roja Aslani, Jeremy Turner, Christian Nicolay, Chris Bose, Tracy Kim Bondeau, James Masz, and Brian Kent Grotro.
Judy Cheung uses modern technology to enlist methods of media manipulation in the service of cultural portrayal. She studied photography, theatre design / literature, dance, film criticism, video etc... between 1983 - 1987. Received B.F.A. degree in 1987 from the University of Calgary and M.F.A. in 1992 from Pratt Institute. Exhibited widely in various media including fine art photography, video to multimedia installation. Received various awards including Canada Council Media Art Project Grant and Exploration Program. A teacher, a commercial photographer and an active member in the Calgary media arts community, her involvement includes curating media arts exhibitions and tele-video conferences. Served as a board member and programming committee member in several artist-run centres including EMMedia, The New Gallery, CSIF and Stride Gallery. Currently producing an interactive CD-Rom with multiple treading entitled "The Blood Vial" and teaching photography at Humber College in Toronto.
JE (Liz) Solo is a writer, multi-disciplinary performance and media artist, and musician, best known for their work in East Coast music, and as a trailblazer in machinima, hybrid-reality, and live and networked performance art. They create artworks that merge traditional practices (theatre, writing) with technology, (virtual/online/game environments). Recently JE has been exploring creation using quantum computing, and Virtual Reality.
Visit Solo’s website here.
Roja Aslani BA (Psych), BFA, MFA, is a Canadian living between Canada and the United Kingdom. Her practice investigates fan culture, fan souvenirs and commercial nostalgia. Aslani has shown in Berlin, Toronto, Kelowna, Vernon, London, Edinburgh, and Tallinn. She has upcoming exhibitions in Victoria and Kelowna.
You can follow her instagram @rojaaslaniart
Christian Nicolay is a Canadian multidisciplinary artist working between Kelowna and Vancouver BC. His diverse body of work employs a wide range of media and techniques often seeking pathways that intercept traditional ways of working with materials. Part of his artistic strategy is to examine and play in liminal areas that are hard to define, often challenging common perceptions of borders and boundaries in relation to process, materiality and function.
View Nicolay’s website here.
Chris Bose is a writer, multi-disciplinary artist, musician, curator and filmmaker.
He is a founding member of the Arbour Collective, an Aboriginal arts collective based in Kamloops, with a national membership. He is also a workshop facilitator of community arts events, digital storytelling, art workshops with people of all ages and backgrounds, curatorial work for First Nations art shows and projects, research and writing for periodicals across Canada, project management and coordination, music festival producer, mixed-media productions, film, audio and video recording and editing, and more. He is of the Secwepemc and Nlaka’pamux Nation in BC, and currently spends his time in Kamloops BC.
View Bose’s website here.
Tracey Kim Bonneau (syilx) is a veteran award-winning television writer and producer residing on the Penticton Indian Reserve in British Columbia, Canada. Her most recent industry accolade includes garnering four Leo nominations in 2016 from the Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Foundation of British Columbia for her original rich cultural documentary series Quest Out-West Wild Food, airing on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) . In 2018 Tracey was awarded the Aboriginal Business Excellence Award from the Penticton Chamber of Commerce for her contributions to the local economy within the film and television industry.
View Bonneau’s website here.
Brian Gotro’s practice centres on video. Activating qualities of the ephemeral, comedic, social and political, his work has shown in Hong Kong, Russia, Norway, Berlin, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg and Kelowna. Video distribution information is available at www.vtape.org / www.videoout.ca