Fantastical, hyper-realistic transgenic beings have checked into Downtown Eastside’s Patricia Hotel, and you have to go visit them – trust us. Patricia Piccinini’s exhibition, Curious Imaginings, runs September 14 to December 15, 2018.

We love this unconventional layout for an art exhibition. When you get to the 105-year-old inn, head up to the second floor where an entire wing has been dedicated to the show. As you weave through the hallway, you’ll find intriguing, lifelike sculptures in 18 unique rooms. The sculptures are mind-blowingly intricate; the context they are placed in tells an equally fascinating story. You will feel things – wonder, empathy, shock, unease (we felt all of these at different points). Pro-tip: Try to go on a day when Patricia or a guide is there to talk you through the show.

About the Artist

Globally renowned Melbourne artist Piccinini uses a range of different media to explore concepts such as empathy, responsibility and acceptance. Her work encompasses sculpture, photography, video and drawing and her practice examines the increasingly blurred boundary between the artificial and the natural in contemporary culture. Her surreal drawings, hybrid animals and otherwordly creatures question the way that contemporary technology and culture changes our understanding of what it means to be human, and wonders at our relationships with – and responsibilities towards – that which we create.

Get tickets to the show

Curious Imaginings is part of the 2018-2020 Vancouver Biennale exhibition re-IMAGE-n. Get tickets now for early bird pricing (until September 30): $14 for adults, $11 for students and seniors, $35 for a family of four (plus service charge) at www.imcurious.ca and Eventbrite.

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