Roy Arden's colossal artwork "Big House" at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
The new 1.2 million square-foot Vancouver Convention Centre (VCC) officially opened its doors earlier last month to celebrate the culmination of over five years of meticulous planning and construction of the revitalized convention centre located on Vancouver’s waterfront.
The VCC expansion was an ambitious program, not just in the size and scope of the building, but also in the way it integrated a world class collection of public art representing the very finest talents of BC, Canadian and international artists. With a depth of experience in creating interpretive environments, Karo worked with the VCC and its partners to fulfill its ambition to showcase the stories, contributions and innovations of the workers who built British Columbia.
The interactive touch screen kiosk reveals the stories behind the images.
There is a risk with any public art project that the intention of the artwork within its setting will not be fully appreciated by on-lookers. Merely placing art in an environment is not always sufficient to ensure it communicates its idea, purpose or context. So how can art and history be brought to life in a way that helps the public understand how the art fits within its environment?
A point in case is the 195-foot long wall installation “Big House” by Roy Arden, a colossal artwork that captures the many aspects and chapters of BC history, from first European contact to the Second World War. With the artwork comprising a large array of images, the challenge was to allow the public to explore the work and become engaged without being overwhelmed by its enormity.
We needed to devise a way for the public to connect with each story and thus have a greater appreciation for the boldness of the artwork’s vision and its place within the VCC. Karo developed a custom kiosk that enclosed a large format touch screen LCD that seamlessly integrates into a glass plinth. Like a giant iPhone, users intuitively swipe the screen to scroll through a zoomed view of the artwork, showing each element of the collage in detail. Tapping on an image reveals the description of the photo and archival information, building a greater appreciation of Arden’s artistry and the story of the workers of BC. The interactive kiosk seamlessly adds to the overall narrative of the artwork, making it more contextual, relevant and engaging.
We encourage you to experience this larger than life public artwork at the VCC. Roy Arden’s “Big House” is located on the south side of the centre before you enter the main exhibit hall.