Vines Art Festival hosts Multitides—a site-collaborative tidal walk at Spanish Banks, August 15 to 18
The self-guided stroll at Spanish Banks’ tidal flats comes with an eight-page zine

Paula Viitanen Aldazosa.
Vines Art Festival presents Multitides—a site collaborative tidal walk on August 15 from 8:50 am to 10:50 am; August 16 from 9:40 am to 11:40 am; August 17 from 10:40 am to 12:40 pm; and August 18 from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm
THE TIDAL FLATS of Spanish Banks are the stage for a Vines Art Festival offering called Multitides—a site collaborative tidal walk taking place from August 15 to 18.
Created by Paula Viitanen in collaboration with mechatronics engineer Juan Aldazosa, visual artist Liz Wurzinger, and composer Elliot Vaughan, the self-guided stroll takes place at low tide each day, beginning at a site-responsive installation where participants receive a guidebook leading them into the intertidal zone.
The installation will be in place just outside of the Spanish Banks West concession; measuring approximately eight feet by eight feet, it is designed as a “site-responsive portal or doorway”, Viitanen tells Stir.
“Participants are invited to step through it at the beginning of their tidal walk,” says Viitanen, who has a degree in industrial joinery and a BFA in theatre: production and design. “Our exploration focuses on how a frame or portal might alter one’s awareness and presence in a location. The installation features site-responsive elements, including kinetic parts that react to local weather conditions such as wind and rain and the rising tidal waters.”
Audiences will also be given a guidebook in the form of an eight-page zine. “When unfolded, it reveals a poster-sized map of the tidal flats, showcasing observations and prompts related to the natural features of the area,” Viitanen says. “This guide encourages exploration of the site’s existing dynamics.”
In the booklet, there will be a QR code to a site-specific composition by Vaughan. “The sound will be generated real time based on an algorithm Vaughan created using six different earth and moon cycles turned into oscillators,” Viitanen says.
Vines Art Festival continues to August 17.
Gail Johnson is cofounder and associate editor of Stir. She is a Vancouver-based journalist who has earned local and national nominations and awards for her work. She is a certified Gladue Report writer via Indigenous Perspectives Society in partnership with Royal Roads University and is a member of a judging panel for top Vancouver restaurants.
Related Articles
Director Mahesh Pailoor and producer Asit Vyas tell the impactful true story of a young man diagnosed with terminal cancer
Most decorated female Latin Grammy winner in history and mind behind the beloved Chief Inspector Gamache series will appear in Vancouver this fall
Coastal Jazz also announced the second year of the New Improvisers Studio
Summer concerts return to Vancouver parks, plus the new year includes Steve Hackman’s epic synthesis of Radiohead’s seminal OK Computer with Brahms’s First Symphony
Offerings also include Hungary’s circus-dance company Recirquel, as well as Robert Lepage and Guillaume Côté’s visually striking take on Shakespeare’s Hamlet
Vancouver concert is nearly sold out, but great seats are still up for grabs in Surrey
A trio of strong actors make sure some of the most understated moments wind up being the most poignant in this Touchstone Theatre production
The anchor program of the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival features everything from sake tastings to taiko-drumming demonstrations
Paintings and handcrafted installations by four Surrey artists revolve around the intersection of nature and humanity
Niall McNeil’s new play draws on his love of Disney’s fairy-tale flick and his life as an artist with Down Syndrome
The founding executive director of the Writers' Union of Canada and the Writers Development Trust was also founding president of Music on Main
Also on the program at Holy Rosary Cathedral is Benevoli’s Missa Tu Es Petrus
Raised on bluegrass and the warmth of her Bowen Island community, the Montreal-based folksinger comes full circle with songs about close emotional bonds
At the Capture Photography Festival, the filmmaker responds to colonial and industrial pressures with handcrafted practices that call out to her Inuit heritage
Vancouver Bach Family of Choirs presents the emotional composition with text by English soldier and war poet Wilfred Owen
In Aisha’s Story, a Palestinian matriarch uses food for generational healing, while Saints and Warriors follows a Haida basketball team
Longtime Vancouver arts professional will oversee Eastside Culture Crawl, with Esther Rausenberg moving into new role as artistic director
Backed by re-creations of famous looks and moves, Jayna Elise’s strong voice drives an eerily believable portrayal of the Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll
Belgian dance-theatre company invites audiences on a thrilling and disorienting journey into the subconscious
Formed by a pair of musical duos, the group blends jazz, tango, African, classical, and more through mutual trust and constant curiosity
In her vibrant new show, the Vancouver singer illuminates and performs the timeless, barrier-breaking music that built Berry Gordy’s sonic empire
Set of antique and newly composed music by Hyeronimus Kapsberger and Claudio Ambrosini evokes the sounds of Venice
Like his perennial hit Kim’s Convenience, new work by the acclaimed writer and actor reflects on Asian Canadian identity with fearless humour
Board of trustees states that the arts administrator, curator, and writer is leaving “to pursue other professional and personal interests”
Spanning the side of a downtown building as part of this year’s Capture Photography Festival, the installation radiates Indigenous knowledge and Prairie warmth
The Smithers, B.C.-based artist brings his articulate blend of soul, funk, jazz, and pop sounds to Vancouver
At the Arts Club, actor Susinn McFarlen plays 63-year-old Dorothy, who travels to Burning Man after losing her husband
Artists hitting the Performance Works stage include New Jazz Underground, Nubya Garcia, and more
Friends of Chamber Music program features works by Barber, Bartók, and Shostakovich with unique historical relevance
Blending musical theatre with traditional Indigenous forms, writer-director Corey Payette creates a depiction of residential schools that keeps growing in importance