Don’t mistake a new art gallery in Kelowna for a gift shop when you walk into it this weekend.
On Saturday, Jan. 13 and Sunday, Jan. 14, the Kelowna Art Gallery will have a new exhibit on display which may make some people think they’re browsing gifts from a Canadian souvenir shop.
The General Store, by artists Nahanni McKay and Ben Evely is on display at the art gallery this weekend and features postcards, pennants, magnets, and other objects that reference the wilderness in Canada.
“This work is a parody of souvenir merchandise, incorporating the puns and low-brow humour that can so often be found in them,” said artist Ben Evely. “The souvenirs on display in The General Store reference the way places can be misrepresented—how the commercial viability of a souvenir will often take precedence over whether it is genuine or accurate. Whatever sells best gets reproduced.”
Evely and McKay are both from Banff, which is home to one of the most visited national parks in the world. The two artists examine people who visit the parks and the park spaces and try to call attention to the commodification of the natural world.
“Beautiful places in Canada attract a colonial desire to commercialize and conquer this sacred place. This is my way of decolonizing the land,” said artist Nahanni McKay.
To view The General Store, the Kelowna Art Gallery will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday and is located at 1315 Water Street.
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