interdisciplinary
conference
of art + design

May 5-7, 2023

Richmond + Vancouver, BC

Mural by Andrew McGuire (Vancouver Mural Festival)
Children’s Day, Japan Village, Industry City, NYC
Paintings by Herman Bekkering (appearing on unsold Pattison billboards)
'Hearts' yarn bombing by Deirdre Pinnock
‘Giants’ by OSGEMEOS (Vancouver Biennale)
Mural by Tristesse Seeliger
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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. 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. Video submissions should be a maximum of 5 minutes in duration.

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 24th, 2023

Notification of selection (Round 1)

March 24th, 2023 

Notification of selection (Round 2)

Conference Date

May 5–7, 2023

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

Submissions
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Registration

Pricing

Early Bird:

Register by March 30th

3-day (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) – $90

2-day (Saturday and Sunday only) – $60

General Admission:

For registrations after March 30th

3-day (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) – $125

2-day (Saturday and Sunday only) – $90

Keynote Speaker Evening Only (Friday) – $35

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About

Submissions

Speakers

Pedagogy