High on the list of things the Polygon Gallery excels at, alongside showcasing the works of world-renowned artists and inciting discussion with thought-provoking and inspiring exhibitions, is hosting memorable parties.
The North Vancouver gallery knows how to throw a damn good shindig, and the send off for its summer exhibition Anti-Icon: Apokalypsis, penned for September 26, is set to be no exception.
P.L.U.R.O.M.A. (Peace Love Unity Respect Oxygen Music and Autonomy) is a multimedia fashion show that will take over the entire Polygon, turning the gallery’s two floors into a runway.
Produced by Liquidation World and under the creative direction of Katayoon Yousefbigloo, the event will focus on the launch of a Resort clothing collection crafted at the hands of eight separate designers. The event’s finer details are under wraps until the big day, but with the show combining live video streams, performance, photography and music, Yousefbigloo promises it will be unlike any other fashion show audiences have seen before.
“It’s very immersive,” said the artist. “Audiences are going to feel like they’re entering an entirely different world.”
Alongside Yousefbigloo, who will curate a selection of specialised merchandise, the artists whose wares are set to take to the stage include Dana Qaddah, Jake Kimble, Khan Lee, Maya Beaudry, Mobilize, Second Spring Apparel (Julian Hou & others), Olga Abeleva & Leon, and Ximena Velázquez.
Each will have a collection that speaks to each element of the show’s title, ensuring the final show has designs that embody peace, unity, respect, and so on. Each artist was chosen carefully, said Yousebigloo, as it was important to feature creatives who she really trusts and believes in, especially for a show that would involve them having to step outside of their usual boxes.
“I chose to work with visual artists because, while there are a ton of artists in Vancouver who have textile practices and make beautiful, fashionable clothes, I wanted to see what would happen when visual artists are working in a different medium,” she said.
“It’s about the performance and working with models to come up with something for the runway. I think that it’s a challenge for everyone and that’s what excites me about it. What could happen, and what could go wrong, can lead to a new kind of experience.”
The notion of diving into the unknown is reflected within the show’s name. The acronym’s beginning, P.L.U.R, was plucked from 90s rave culture as a nod to the movement’s principles (peace, love, unity, respect), but when joined with Yousefbigloo’s added initials, o, m, a, it becomes pleroma - a reference to the universe’s divine power.
“There’s this overall concept of the unknown or the unexpected, and that is what excites me about this project, and also scares me about this project at times, because there are a lot of different, unknown elements,” she said.
“I’m always chasing this experience as the person making the art, where something happened that I didn’t expect or didn’t know, and I can only find out at the very event. At the very moment of it happening. I can’t really plan it out or see it.”
The experimental art show could pan out any number of ways, the only certainty, said Yousefbigloo, is that audiences are going to leave “confused but entertained, excited.”
So, without any concrete information on what to expect, how should audiences know what to wear? Yousefbigloo recommends raiding the wardrobe for your most eye-catching clothes, “you’re trying to steal the thunder,” she said.
“There’s lots of video and lots of photos, there’s the front row, people should be competing to be seen,” she said.
“Forget the athleisure, no low key outfits. Wear the craziest thing you have, and hopefully, if you’re lucky, you can even get scouted for the next season.”
Tickets to the show can be purchased via The Polygon’s website.
Mina Kerr-Lazenby is the North Shore News’ Indigenous and civic affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
