The Nova Library

October 17 – November 30, 2005
Exhibition, Opening/Launch, Panel Discussion

About the Program

Named after William Burroughs' novel, Nova Express, Hans Winkler's The Nova Library attempts to share the creative process with the community and represent the spirit, ideas, and creativity of current and former drug users in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside (DTES). The project came at the end of a Four Pillars Initiative that had gone on for several years. It introduced Harm Reduction and focused on the DTES drug problems. There was much media around the “solving of addiction.” To produce this project, grunt hired a young recovering addict named Chris Livingstone who worked in the addicts’ community. Winkler developed a questionnaire that Chris took to the community, bringing back the names of 850 books. The Vancouver Public Library then took the list and pulled the titles from their stacks and provided Winkler with space to assemble a reading room that existed in the library over a six-week period and was seen by thousands of people. The library allowed Winkler to ink-stamp every book so they went back into the stacks permanently branded with the project. This 'social sculpture' sat at the intersection of community engaged arts, literary installation, and public performance.

Opening reception and panel discussion: October 17, 2005
Exhibition: October 17 to November 30, 2005

Curator

Glenn Alteen

Artist

Hans Winkler

Coordinator

Daina Warren

Identifier

2005.1017 NOV

Part of the series

LIVE Biennial of Performance Art 2005

Collection

grunt gallery Programming Archive

Location

Alice MacKay Room
Vancouver Public Library
350 W. Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6B 6B1
Unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ/selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations
​​In copyright. For uses beyond Fair Dealing, research requests, corrections, takedown requests, or other inquiries, please contact grunt gallery: archives@grunt.ca