Libby Leshgold Gallery is pleased to announce the launch of Misc. Activities Collective’s drift, as part of the City of Vancouver’s Public Art Program for Emily Carr University’s Urban Screen. The screening will run July 20th through December 31st, 2023.

drift observes the shifting nature of water using moments of sublime beauty. Using footage collected during the artists’ two years of travel across continents and waterways, the work combines and remixes the colours, forms and surfaces of water to create imagery that is both dazzling and meditative. Overlooking the pavings of the Wilson Arts Plaza, drift offers an optical reminder of the transformational powers of water and light; expertly filtered through layers of technology, the work is a visual experience tailored to the urban environment, even as it reminds us of its limitations.

When beginning to film, we systematically logged interesting clips into our database; then we began to drift, guided by the water to be more conscious, to look closer and appreciate the spiritual presence and healing qualities of water. drift is edited as a painting, matching colour, form and refraction to frame water dancing with light, from sunlight beaming through gentle ripples and sparkling swirls to the white mist of raging waterfalls. drift shows water’s power and serenity.