Stop by Nanaimo Art Gallery and experience orchids as you've never seen them. In alumnus Arvo Leo's The Orchids / Had the Look of Flowers That are Looked At, Leo depicts these bright blooms coming to life and playing with their environment. Arvo Leo explores the history of orchids from their "acquisition as an exotic trophy to its highly charged sexual symbolism to its present day existence as the most popular ornamental organism to grace the windowsills and hotel lobbies of our damaged planet."

In this exhibit, Leo tackles topics of uneven distribution of power with commentary on humankind's dominance over nature. With stop motion animation, sculptural installation, and cyanograph photography, Leo sends orchids on a surrealist journey of reclamation. Imbuing them with a joyful and destructive passion, the orchids will interact with their surroundings. Off screen, live orchids will grace the entry way of the gallery as Leo has teamed up with the Central Vancouver Island Orchid Society, allowing visitors to interact with the proverbial stars of the show.