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Agriculture and art

Sylvia Grace Borda gives a talk at Surrey Art Gallery Oct. 10.
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Sylvia Grace Borda

Sylvia Grace Borda will speak at the Surrey Art Gallery on Oct. 10, 7 p.m. about her epic agricultural art project This One’s for the Farmer, as part of her exhibitions Figuring Ground, at the Surrey Art Gallery and Aerial Fields, on Surrey Urban Screen.

This event – for anyone interested in farming, food, and the landscapes we inhabit – features conversations, food and beverage tastings, and live music. Seating is limited, and seats can be reserved by calling 604-501-5566 (press 0).

Borda positions the modern practice of farming in the Surrey and Fraser Valley growing basin in context to historical art, and brings it into the foreground of contemporary art. She will speak about the representation of farming in contemporary photography and her experience producing this unique project, including the development of the first ever artwork set in Google Street View, a reverse engineered 3D video using 19th century technology, and drone-controlled aerial filmmaking. To view Borda’s Google Street View generated artwork Farm Tableau: Medomist Farm Ltd (Bose family) (2013) go to http://goo.gl/maps/1NgdN.

Her talk will be preceded by brief presentations on modern day farming in the Surrey and Fraser Valley growing basin by Ron Tamis (Vice President of the Surrey Urban Farmers Market Association and SPCA Certified Beef | Producer and Independent Surrey farm owner, Rondriso Farms) and Ravi Bathe (President of the BC Young Farmers Association and Poultry, blueberry and raspberry grower, R&R Farms Ltd.).

Music by Maple Ridge bluegrass band The Still Spirits will complete the evening.

Borda is a Research Associate at Emily Carr University of Art and Design (Vancouver), and guest lectures at the University of Stirling (Scotland). Borda’s work has been featured recently in exhibitions at the A&D Gallery London, MAC Belfast, and ZooArte (Cuneo Italy). A five year survey of Borda’s art practice will be presented at Street Level Photo Gallery, Glasgow in 2014.

Surrey Art Gallery is located at 13750 88 Ave. Call 604-501-5566 or check www.surrey.ca/artgallery for more information.