Artist Pages
Vivian Wong
https://www.instagram.com/blackboughstudio/
Vivian Wong is a Toronto-based artist, arts educator and workshop facilitator. In her public art practice, she focuses on process and engagement through participatory art, using sustainable and upcycled materials and a mix of found and natural objects. She has animated spaces like Nuit Blanche Toronto, Evergreen Brick Works, and the Gardiner Museum with interactive and ephemeral installations and community art. Vivian’s work frequently explores the intersections of contemporary art, urbanism, and nature.
In Vivian’s work, familiar and whimsical visual tropes form the basis of accessible, relatable, uplifting art with an emphasis on process and community engagement — it’s art for everyone.
Salmo Salar: The Once and Future Fish
A series of community engagement workshops and an installation from Vivian Wong.
This participatory art project was made by hundreds of students and community members from recycled sail cloth, to give visual representation to the power of collaboration. The Port Hope community was invited to take part in took part in a multistage process of building colour and pattern on reclaimed sailcloth one layer at a time, exemplifying how small individual contributions can become part of a greater whole, while sparking conversations about sustainability and caring for the environment.
The Salmo Salar installation was suspended over Lent Lane initially, then migrated to its permanent location above the therapy pool at the Port Hope Jack Burger Sports Complex.
Watch
Artist statement and project overview (from the 2017 Evergreen Brickworks iteration of Salmo Salar)
