<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=Windows-1252">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Segoe UI";
panose-1:2 11 5 2 4 2 4 2 2 3;}
/* Style Definitions */
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoPlainText, li.MsoPlainText, div.MsoPlainText
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Plain Text Char";
margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
span.PlainTextChar
{mso-style-name:"Plain Text Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Plain Text";
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
span.EmailStyle22
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;
color:#666666;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:none;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">For Immediate Release
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><b><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">“All the Stars We Cannot See” can now be seen in Kelowna<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">All the Stars We Cannot See: Megan Smith and Gao Yujie<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><i><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">October 28, 2023 to March 10, 2024<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">October 25, 2023 – Kelowna, BC:
</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Have you ever wondered just how many satellites are circling the globe right now? That’s one of the questions that led two artists down a rabbit hole that resulted in an immersive
art installation which visualized what they found.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">The project is called
<i>All the Stars We Cannot See</i> and it is the culmination of Megan Smith and Gao Yujie’s deep look at active satellite data. Visitors will have the chance to experience a virtual sky activated by 25,500+ satellites orbiting Earth in their installation at
the Kelowna Art Gallery.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">“The proliferation of social media has meant the amount of communication and images transferred between people has exploded,” says
<b>Megan Smith</b>. “We looked up into the sky for answers about how that would impact the space surrounding Earth, and we wondered just how many satellites are up there, anyway?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Viewers can get a sense of this as they gaze skyward (or at least ceiling-ward) in a darkened exhibition space. The room features furniture for visitors to stretch out
on as they look up at the visual dataset projected above them. The projection is accompanied by an audio soundtrack composed by the artists, and Da Xu. An eye-catching vinyl graphic that wraps around the outside of the Gallery building has also been designed
and installed by the artists. It will be nearly impossible to miss.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">“The first time we put our visuals on the big screen, my perception of the project’s scope changed,” says
<b>Gao Yujie</b>. “It felt like all these satellites were coming at me and I was surprised to enjoy the feeling of moving through space with all of these objects.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">The artists hope to render visible the global impact of satellite density and build an opportunity for discussion on the impact of colonizing space. Audiences can experience
<i>All the Stars We Cannot See</i> from October 28, 2023 to March 10, 2024.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Megan Smith holds a PhD in Contemporary Art & Graphic Design from Leeds Beckett University and is currently an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Creative & Critical
Studies at the UBC Okanagan. Gao Yujie holds a PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies in Digital Arts and Humanities from UBC Okanagan, where she is a Sessional Lecturer in Creative and Media Studies.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">The artists would like to recognize Aristotle Roufanis for the database design, Da Xu for the sound design, and acknowledge support from Canada Foundation of Innovation,
Killam Trusts, and the Faculty of Creative & Critical Studies at UBC Okanagan.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">The Kelowna Art Gallery is located at 1315 Water Street, in downtown Kelowna, B.C.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">- 30 –<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Resources</span></u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Exhibition Webpage:
<a href="https://kelownaartgallery.com/all-the-stars-we-cannot-see/">https://kelownaartgallery.com/all-the-stars-we-cannot-see/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Project Webpage:
<a href="https://allthestarswecannotsee.space/">https://allthestarswecannotsee.space/</a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#666666"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:black">Project Video (2022):
</span><span style="color:black"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSS9NitPho8&list=TLGGeAotlAKgsDMyNTEwMjAyMw&t=20s">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSS9NitPho8&list=TLGGeAotlAKgsDMyNTEwMjAyMw&t=20s</a></span><span style="color:#666666"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">For additional high-res images, to arrange an interview with the artists, or other media enquiries, please contact:<o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Joshua Desnoyers<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Marketing and Events Coordinator<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Kelowna Art Gallery<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">1315 Water Street, Kelowna, BC V1Y 9R3<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">250-762-2226 ext. 305<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="mailto:josh@kelownaartgallery.com">josh@kelownaartgallery.com</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="http://www.kelownaartgallery.com">www.kelownaartgallery.com</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>