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The Vancouver Art Gallery is honouring Asian Heritage Month with a vibrant month-long lineup that celebrates Asian identity through art, movement, and cultural connection. With everything from weaving workshops and multilingual tours to a world-premiere performance and new exhibitions, the VAG is inviting visitors to experience the many expressions of Asian creativity.
At the heart of the programming is HEAVEN FM (2025), a bold new performance by local interdisciplinary collective Hong Kong Exile. Developed during their five-month residency at the Gallery—the first in the institution’s history—the piece will be presented in six public shows from May 15 to 18 in Courtroom 302. Blending dance, theatre, and low-tech multimedia elements, HEAVEN FM explores themes of grief, joy, and spiritual connection in an increasingly digitised world.
“This residency has allowed us to assemble an exceptional ensemble of artists to complete the creation of a show that is deeply meaningful to us,” shares co-artistic director Natalie Tin Yin Gan in a statement. “It’s truly exciting to present the world premiere of this work at the Vancouver Art Gallery.”
Other highlights throughout the month include guided exhibition tours in Punjabi and Mandarin on May 11 and 25, along with The Making Place, a hands-on weaving workshop exploring traditional Filipino banig techniques using paper. On May 24, the always-anticipated Art Party returns with live music, DJ sets, performances by Asian Canadian artists, and surprise pop-ups that invite guests to move, mingle and create art.
Asian Heritage Month also coincides with two major exhibition openings. Otani Workshop: Monsters in My Head marks the first North American solo exhibition from Japanese ceramicist Shigeru Otani, known for his blend of traditional techniques and contemporary visual storytelling. Written in Clay: From the John David Lawrence Collection offers a look at the history of British Columbia’s studio pottery movement.
“Asian Heritage Month at the Gallery is about more than celebration,” adds Sirish Rao, Interim Co-CEO. “It’s about reflection, community, and creating space for shared understanding through art.”
See the full lineup of events here.
