Shared Vessels: The Architecture of Collective Rituals
Opening reception: Thursday November 20th, 2025, 3:00pm
On view: November 20th – December 5th
The University of the Fraser Valley’s School of Creative Arts (SoCA) is proud to present Shared Vessels. Based in the critical frameworks of Nicolas Bourriaud’s “Relational Aesthetics” and Claire Bishop’s subsequent critique, Shared Vessels presents work by Professional Skills for Visual Artists students, under the guidance of Dr. Candace Couse, that transforms viewers into essential collaborators. The exhibition explores a central question: does meaningful connection arise from harmony or from friction? Moving beyond static objects, the show creates architectures for collective ritual, challenging you to complete the works through your physical and critical engagement.
Some pieces function as participatory “micro-utopias,” modeling a more connected world through shared, harmonious encounters. In direct dialogue, others embrace antagonism to challenge us, exposing the boundaries and exclusions inherent in community. Together, these works investigate the very nature of social experience, creating a living laboratory for collective emotion, reflection, and debate. Your participation is the final element of the artwork, making this exhibition an active space where the true crime is passivity.
The exhibition opens on November 20th at the S’eliyemetaxwtexw Art Gallery, located on the UFV Abbotsford campus, and runs through until December 5th.
An opening reception will be held on November 20th at 3:00 pm in the gallery. All are welcome to attend, and admission is free.
Featuring works by:
Megan Ali, Kay Ber, Prabhleen Cheema, Keira Chu, Zoe Crowley, Kiri Davidson, Jainee de Jong, Arya Dewa, Gray Engler, Viviana Giesbrecht Ferreira, Adrienne Ginther, Kate Hotner, Ella James, Dove Johnson, Dani Madrid, Priyanka Na, Avery Pohl, Maggie Priebe, Akashdeep Singh, Cyrus Siew, Angelica Spada, Harmanpreet Kaur, Samira Zreick
For more information, contact SAG.Gallery@ufv.ca