University Art Collections presents three new exhibitions this fall
September 11, 2026
The University Art Collections presents three new exhibitions early this fall.
DIS – displaced, dispersed, dispossessed and WARA-WARA: An Exhibition of Street Art and Graffiti from Yogyakarta, Indonesia are on view at the Legacy Gallery in downtown Victoria.
- Both run concurrently from September 16 to December 5, 2026.
- The Legacy Gallery is open Wednesday – Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
On campus in the Special Collections & University Archives Reading Room, Learning/Unlearning: Teaching with Belongings & Collections runs from September 14, 2026 – May 31, 2027.
DIS – displaced, dispersed, dispossessed
DIS – displaced, dispersed, dispossessed explores the lasting influence of the Second World War on Nikkei communities around the world.
DIS is one of a pair of concurrent group exhibits at the Legacy Art Gallery and the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre. Together, the exhibits feature the work of 15 contemporary artists. Both were curated by Sherri Shinobu Kajiwara, Director/Curator at the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre.
The exhibition at the Legacy Art Gallery presents new work in video, sculpture-informed 2D/3D installations, performance, illustration, and text-based practices. Works by seven artists engage with inherited memory, cultural continuity, and intergenerational experience.
These works emerged through the Past Wrongs Future Choices Artists and Scholars in Residence program at UVic. Through the program, creators and thinkers were brought together for a vibrant community of discussion about Nikkei experiences and history.
Opening reception
Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026
Time: 3:00 p.m.
Location: University of Victoria Legacy Gallery, 630 Yates St, Victoria, BC
Reception details.
WARA-WARA
An Exhibition of Street Art and Graffiti from Yogyakarta, Indonesia
WARA-WARA brings together 21 artists and four collectives from Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Their work has been shaped by the city's vibrant street art, graffiti, mural, and comic communities.
The exhibition takes its title from the Javanese term “wara-wara”—an announcement, warning or public call. Together, the contributors explore artistic practice as a way of responding collectively to moments of social, political, and environmental uncertainty.
WARA-WARA was developed through a collaboration between UVic, Survive! Garage (Yogyakarta), and the participating artists and collectives. The exhibit presents paintings, drawings, prints and new site-responsive work alongside photographs and video documentation from the project's Yogyakarta origins.
The project’s history and development can be explored on the WARA-WARA website.
Opening reception
Date: Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Time: 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: University of Victoria Legacy Gallery, 630 Yates St, Victoria, BC
Reception details.
Learning/Unlearning
Teaching with Belongings & Collections
This collaboratively curated exhibition highlights what can be learned—and unlearned—from cultural objects stewarded by UVic Libraries Cultural Collections. Highlighting a diverse selection of objects and Indigenous belongings alongside newly created works, this exhibition illustrates innovative approaches to knowledge formation through deep engagement with material artefacts and their creators.
Learning/Unlearning emerged out of a Seed Funded Community of Practice which brought archivists, curators, faculty, and librarians together over the 2025-2026 academic year to learn from one another and envision a future for teaching in archives, libraries, and galleries.
This exhibition invites inquiry, dialogue, and exchange through engagement with audiovisual materials, books, photographs, baskets, posters, and other objects.
Dates: September 14, 2026 – May 31, 2027
Location: Special Collections & University Archives Reading Room