Vancouver artist Ken Lum took the opportunity of a Pecha Kucha appearance to talk about the his city, its history and its habits, and its demolition and disappearance. Though he said little about his own work, none of the concerns or ethic of his art were missing. His offhanded, throwaway tone only barely conceals outrage. And there’s a surprise ending.
Like me, Ken is one of the few Vancouverites with deep roots here. Of course Ken has now left the city, and we miss him.
How many others will leave now that the city is up for grabs by Big Money, derelict government and careless stupidity?
Ken’s right when he says that the demolition of the Pantages Theatre—the oldest vaudeville theatre in the country, soon to be condos—was an “abomination.”
The following slide got an immediate laugh of recognition from the audience. “It just shows you how crummy the details are now when you look down at the street…”
