Jan 9 – Feb 2, 2024
Multimedia artist Preston Buffalo joins us at SUM gallery for a four-week artist residency (Jan 9 – Feb 2). During this time Buffalo will develop a number of projects in advance of his solo exhibition in April, including site-specific AR, analogue photography, 3D photography, and projections.
In June 2023 we featured Preston’s stunning AR work, Cosmic Connections: Queer Indigenous Astronomy (A View From Above and Below), at QAF’s Queers In Space, in partnership with Little Chamber Music. Following this, Buffalo participated in Mmaandaawaabi (see a wondrous sight) at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre in Kingston, an exhibition that showcased Indigenous artists whose digital practice reflects upon and engages with Indigenous worldviews and epistemologies through new media and AR technology.
To cap off Preston’s residency, we’re pleased to announce an Open House on February 3 and an Introduction to Augmented Reality Workshop on February 10. Read on for more details!
Preston Buffalo, a Two-Spirited Cree artist originally from Treaty 6 Territory, currently resides in the unceded Coast Salish Territories of British Columbia. His interdisciplinary practice involves the exploration of personal Indigenous iconography and symbolism, utilizing photography, alternative photo processes, and digital illustration. Motivated by the challenges faced by Indigenous communities, Preston’s work touches upon themes such as mental health, cultural and linguistic loss due to displacement, the impact of the residential school system, and the process of assimilation. His overall objective is to create visual expressions that encourage new perspectives on Indigenous art, emphasizing its significance in contemporary society and its contribution to an ongoing dialogue.
Join us at SUM gallery on Saturday, February 3rd, from 2pm-4pm, as we celebrate Preston Buffalo’s residency with an Artist-in-Residence Open House. This will be a unique opportunity to meet Preston, experience his most recent work with 3D photography and Augmented Reality, and get an exclusive look at some of the work that will inform his solo exhibition at SUM gallery in April, Go Home Yuppie Scum.
Augmented Reality stands as the contemporary evolution of stereoscopic and 3D photography, seamlessly merging the digital and physical realms… AR transcends the visual depth limitations of its predecessors, creating immersive, interactive, and contextually rich experiences. This transformative technology not only enhances our perception of reality but reshapes the way we interact with and interpret the world around us. – Preston Buffalo
Saturday, Feb 3
2 – 4pm
Location: SUM gallery (4th floor, 268 Keefer St.)
This event is free to attend and does not require registration.
*The AR Workshop event is currently sold out. Please email info@queerartsfestival.com if you would like to be added to the waiting list should there be an opening.*
We are pleased to offer an Augmented Reality Workshop led by SUM gallery artist-in-residence, Preston Buffalo, on Saturday, February 10th, from 12pm-4pm. Augmented Reality (AR) is an interactive experience that combines the real world and computer-generated content, often via a phone camera.
For this four-hour introductory workshop, you will only need your smartphone and your imagination as Preston explains how to create a dynamic AR experience, whether it’s showcasing digital artwork in a virtual gallery, providing information about a real-world object, or telling a short story through a sequence of interactive elements.
Enrolment is limited to eight participants to ensure individual attention. The session will include an overview of AR and an introduction to Adobe Aero; a hands-on session that includes adding basic AR elements, importing images, and creating projects; an opportunity to present final projects; and a concluding Q&A.
Saturday, Feb 10
Noon – 4pm (breaks included)
Location: SUM gallery (4th floor, 268 Keefer St.)
Workshop Participation Fee: $11.98