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interdisciplinary
conference
of art + design

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May 5-7, 2023

Richmond + Vancouver, BC

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Mural by Andrew McGuire (Vancouver Mural Festival)
Children’s Day, Japan Village, Industry City, NYCPaintings by Herman Bekkering (appearing on unsold Pattison billboards)‘Hearts’ yarn bombing by Deirdre Pinnock‘Giants’ by OSGEMEOS (Vancouver Biennale)Mural by Tristesse Seeliger

Overview

The prevalence of imagery in the built environment plays a meaningful role in our experience of urban space. The nature of that imagery — the content depicted, colours contrasted against sky or concrete, text displayed to sell, alert, or inspire — all works to construct how we understand the values and expectations of our surroundings. Who gets to create that imagery? What narratives and voices are amplified?

Big Pictures: Murals, Billboards, and Urban Interventions is a conference of art and design taking place at the Wilson School of Design at KPU, Richmond, and in venues around Vancouver, BC from May 5–7, 2023.

What opportunities and interactions can be created through big pictures, subversions, or interventions? With keynote speakers, presentation panels, and digital projects, this conference aims to bring together multiple disciplinary approaches including advertising and graphic design; visual culture and criticism; architecture and urban studies; augmented and virtual reality; and public art practices. Presenters from a wide range of creative and academic focuses, as well as practitioners from related industries are invited to share work in this inclusive, dynamic environment.

We are seeking submissions for 300-word proposals presenting projects or research for our in-person panels. Each panel presentation will run approximately 10-15 minutes, with supplementary time for questions.

In addition, we welcome pre-recorded digital submissions of project-based work. These will be projected during the conference, as well as available for viewing on the Big Pictures website. Videos can be any length up to a maximum of five minutes. They can include text and/or audio — with closed captioning for any narration. Video can focus mainly on documenting projects, or take a more creative approach.

At the conclusion of the conference we will be exploring additional ways in which we can develop the dialogues and research into a published form.

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POTENTIAL THEMES

• Festivals, exhibitions, and inspiring interactivity

• Decolonizing urban space, images and indigenization

• Urban interventions and community building

• Creating a sense of place, local voices and collaborative projects

• Billboards, advertising, and imagery that sells

• Screens, projections and transitory visuals

• Heritage, personal narrative, collective memory

• Media and augmented reality projects in the built environment

• Architecture and unexpected imagery

• Messages in neon, signage, and text installations

• Living walls and immersive landscape

• Placemaking through Play

• Making data visible

• Activating temporary and transitional public spaces

Timeline

Submission Deadlines

January 16, 2023

Submissions Open

February 24, 2023

Submissions Due (Round 1)

March 24, 2023
Extended to March 31

Submissions Due (Round 2)

Conference Date

May 5–7, 2023

Reception and speaker event, panel presentations, walking and gallery tours

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mailing list

Registration

Pricing

General Admission 3-day pass – $10

Includes Keynote Speaker Evening, Panels and access to guided walking tours on a first come, first served basis

We are very pleased to offer discounted conference prices: Thank you to our sponsor HCMA, to the Wilson School of Design Dean’s Office, and to KPU Teaching & Learning for their continued support.