Dream ; Nàte | Casey Koyczan

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Casey Koyczan, “Hillside / Towers,” 2024

3D animation still (courtesy of the Gallery)

Casey Koyczan is returning to Kamloops to develop a new project as artist-in-residence in The Cube. As part of his creative process, Koyczan is piecing together imagery and narratives from a dream that brought him from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, to Kamloops.    

Koyczan initially enrolled in the Geography department at Thompson Rivers University (TRU), but his dream had a profound impact on his decision to shift the focus of his studies and to become a professional artist. Koyczan graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2013. Through this residency, Koyczan reconstructs and immerses himself into the meaning of this seminal dream by revisiting sites in Kamloops that appeared to him. With the help of LiDAR scanning and 3D models, Koyczan has created a projected landscape exploring the Kamloops region. The project incorporates digital elements and objects that form an immersive experience for the viewer in the Gallery. 

dream ; nàte is an interpretation of Koyczan’s dream that takes him through the halls of the university, recalls people that influenced him and activities and places that occupied him both within and outside his studies. While some places are familiar, fantastical elements blend with real world counterparts to create a digital dreamworld. The work reflects on the ways in which past memories have taken on new meaning, while other elements continue to be contemplated, suggesting a future yet to be realized.  

The residency offers the artist time and space to experiment. Through dream ; nàte viewers are invited to witness the artist’s journey. Incorporating a sense of play and wonder, the work evokes narratives and imagery that relate to the broader ways in which dreams allow us to process our experiences and can have an impact on the decisions we make in our daily lives.  

Casey Koyczan is a Dene interdisciplinary artist from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, currently living in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He received a Multimedia Production diploma from Lethbridge College in Alberta, a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from TRU, and Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Manitoba. Koyczan’s practice encompasses sculpture, installation, and 3D/VR/AR/360 video, music and audio work, soundscapes, and film scores.