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Griffin Art Projects marks its 10th anniversary with Christos Dikeakos: The Collectors (September 20 to December 14), a solo exhibition that pulls back the curtain on the people behind some of B.C.’s most significant art collections.
The show brings together more than 40 portraits created over a decade, featuring figures such as Michael Audain, Yoshi Karasawa, Bob Rennie, and Dr. Wallace Chung, alongside artists, curators, and writers. Blending classical portraiture with digital techniques, Dikeakos reveals the quirks and personalities that shape each collection.
“Christos Dikeakos draws upon classical portraiture and modern digital interventions in this monumental series, which reveals a deeper story about each collector through subtle art historical nods and references he embeds in the photographs,” shares gallery director Lisa Baldissera, in a release. “Not all collectors are alike, and the specificity of their journeys are made visible in these intimate, yet playful, moments Dikeakos captures of the collectors’ idiosyncrasies and their devotion to the artworks.”
The series also acknowledges the complex histories of collecting, with works that touch on museum holdings, cultural memory, and the ongoing debates around appropriation and repatriation of Indigenous belongings.
Born in Greece and raised in Vancouver, Dikeakos is considered one of the key figures in the development of photoconceptualism. His work has been exhibited across Canada and internationally, with pieces held in the National Gallery of Canada and the Vancouver Art Gallery. The Collectors marks another milestone for the artist, arriving as part of Griffin’s 10th anniversary programming.
Beyond the exhibition itself, Griffin is offering a series of events that expand on the theme of collecting. In collaboration with The Cinematheque, the gallery will present The Collectors film series, including Alexander Sokurov’s Russian Ark, Jill Magid’s The Proposal, and Harold Crooks and Judd Tully’s The Melt Goes On Forever: The Art and Times of David Hammons. Conversations on collecting, with perspectives from local and international voices, will also take place at venues including the Vancouver Art Gallery.
When: September 20 to December 14
Where: Griffin Art Projects
Admission: Free