Rafael Zen
Articles by Rafael Zen
Terremoto discusses Latinx history by revisiting a child’s memory of protection and community
June 20 2022 Artgrunt gallery presents a new exhibition by Salvadoran visual artist Michelle Campos Castillo questioning what can feel like community care when a child lives through civil war and fractured …
Bodies in diaspora: Mere Phantoms’ shadow art highlights the refugee crisis
June 6 2022 ArtPlaying with light and shadow, Surrey Art Gallery’s new exhibition Mere Phantoms: Shadows Without Borders is an interactive show that explores human displacement and memories of home.
“One of…
Retornar - A world where queer latinamericans survive and live past the crisis of power - Retornar
May 23 2022 Art“After a big war driven by an extreme exploitation of natural resources, Retornar (Spanish for to return / to come back) narrates the story of the last survivors on Earth and their forced journey …
DOXA Festival - Hello World presents new questions on what it means to be queer within the schooling system
May 9 2022 Culture“Being able to give kids positive queer role models at the same age is important,” says director Kenneth Elvebakk about Hello World.
“When I was young, not even Elton John was openly gay. …
Xicanx: merging social movements’ history and political artivism with dreams and trailblazing
April 25 2022 ArtMerging social movements’ history and political artivism begins with dreams and the willingness to change. For the first time in Canada, 33 Xicanx artists are being showcased at UBC’s Museum of …
SuperNova - Intergalactic personas and character studies to discuss and provoke the authenticity of culture
April 11 2022 ArtHosted by the grunt gallery, Canadian-Iranian visual artist Rah’s new show suggests discussions that, acting as parody, essentialize qualities that validate ethnicized and racialized experiences …
Where an artist ought to be: a community festival for creative togetherness
November 8 2021 ArtEach November, for the past 25 years the Eastside Arts Society has produced the Eastside Culture Crawl Festival where artists from different backgrounds and practices open their studios to public …
As Many Bodies as Possible - Radical fragmentations of the human figure throughout Art History
October 25 2021 ArtPhoto courtesy of Efrat El-Hanany
Body realities that may at first appear imperfect, vulnerable and even pathetic, actually celebrate diversity and freedom of expression says Efrat El-Hanany,…
Confucius or Confusions - Addressing happiness and democratic freedom in contemporary Asian Studies
August 30 2021 LocalThe 2021 TAIWANfest aims to re-think Asia through the lens of Taiwan and Korea, and Josephine Chiu-Duke, PhD, will address the taboos around Confucianism and its theoretical legacy to 21st Century …
Queer craving: a cinema of challenging narratives and stereotypes at VQFF
August 16 2021 CulturePhoto courtesy of VQFF
Anoushka Ratnarajah, artistic director of the 33rd Annual Vancouver Queer Film Festival, indicates that this year’s event can be a special place for learning and growth …