In the beautifully illustrated work of the art of Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, Mischief Making: Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, Art, and the Seriousness of Play (UBC Press, 2021) author Nicola Levell disproves any notion that play is frivolous. Deploying mischievous tactics, Yahgulanaas uses his art to shine a spotlight on serious topics and reveals his deep understanding of the seriousness of play. His refiguring of lines and stories opens up a realm in which the disruption of what’s expected allows different ways of experiencing, knowing and seeing the world to emerge.

Bodies of Enchantment: Puppets from Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas (Figure 1 Publishing, 2021) features over 150 photographs among chapters by ten contributors. Edited by Nicola Levell, Bodies of Enchantment offers a behind-the-scenes look at her award-winning 2019 MOA exhibition, Shadows, Strings and Other Things: The Enchanting Theatre of Puppets, and describes the museum’s role as an imaginarium. The contributors highlight still-vital traditional puppetry practices, as well as modern adaptations of the form: exquisite leather shadow puppets depict ancient Indian epics in modern-day Indonesia; Taiwan’s long-running Pili glove puppetry show thrives in the digital era; and Indigenous filmmaker Amanda Strong uses stop-motion animation to create entrancing new realms.

At this special double book launch, internationally recognized authors, artists and curators Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas, Nicola Levell, Sutrisno Hartana and Jill Baird will be in attendance to celebrate and to profile their writings, art practice and MOA’s collections. Opening remarks will be followed by a book signing.

Free; museum admission not required to attend.
Copies of the books will be available for purchase in the MOA Shop.

Bios

Nicola Levell is an award-winning curator, writer and associate professor of museum and visual anthropology at UBC.

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas is an internationally celebrated visual artist, author and professional speaker.

Sutrisno Hartana is a scholar and a master of Javanese gamelan music and wayang kulit shadow puppetry.

Jill Baird is MOA’s Curator of Education known for her innovative programs and exhibition-making.