While Canadians enjoy a global reputation for being peaceful and warm-hearted, people are not so aware of the fact that they also have a rich artistic culture, with new talent coming up every year. 'Canadian Cameras at Work' is an artistic event displaying photography and video artwork with the goal of presenting modern Canadian culture to an international audience.
The works explore a range of issues, environments, and people, all of which are connected by their link to Canada as a nation. From dancers practicing their routines, to soldiers struggling with their losses, to lumberjacks taking a break after a long day’s work, the diversity of this exhibition symbolizes the diversity of the country, with people coming together from all over the world to live in the fast paced cities, or the laid back rural areas.
While the subject of this artwork varies greatly, the works are unified through their medium: the camera. Combining photographic stills, and video footage, we can explore the different perspectives of the artists, and how they chose to express themselves.
The video artwork has been provided by the AAVA, the Academy of Art Video Art, an organization which focuses on interdisciplinary and experimental video and video-related artistic practices. They incorporate a diverse body of work created by young artists, and aim to promote, distribute, and encourage access to video art works in the public sphere.
This exhibit is a part of an effort help elevate the awareness of Canada as a well-developed, sophisticated world player with an historical and contemporary arts community which can compete internationally. Through developing the bridge between Canadian and Chinese artists, we can foster exchanges which can inspire new roads of thought and mutual exploration. Art and cultural exchange enhance mutual understanding between countries, and it is through the common ground of art and human expression, that people can move beyond cultural differences towards a more harmonic global society.