Contemporary art can instil fear in a person B次元官网网址� fear of exposing oneB次元官网网址檚 ignorance to a genre so often cited and yet so hard to encapsulate.

The chasm between observation and comprehension of these works seems daunting, too wide to venture across with frail curiosity alone.

But on Feb. 1, the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria aims to allay this fear as it morphs into an evening cocktail lounge and performance venue and offers a crash course in its latest contemporary exhibition.

The galleryB次元官网网址檚 quarterly social event, Urbanite, was realized seven years ago as a way to attract a more eclectic audience and offer accessible tours in a social environment, said Tanya Muir, educator of public programs.

B次元官网网址淚t was a building process, but the last few years have been a booming success,B次元官网网址� she said.

Urbanite features live music as well as interdisciplinary performance groups from theatre, dance or film backgrounds to flesh out the themes behind exhibitions and provide entertainment throughout the evening.

B次元官网网址淓verything is thematically related to the exhibition,B次元官网网址� she said.

To compliment the opening of the galleryB次元官网网址檚 latest exhibition, Traces: Fantasy Worlds and Tales of Truth, Montreal-based studio Mere Phantoms will bring shadows to life as the evening unfolds.

Using paper cutouts and handheld lights, Mere Phantoms draws on shadow puppetry, animation and performance to hypnotize its audience with an organic display.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 very playful work,B次元官网网址� said Jaimie Robson, who established the collaborative studio in 2009 with Maya Ersan.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 something magic that happens when people take the light in their own hand and start moving it. ItB次元官网网址檚 unexpected.B次元官网网址�

Robson led a workshop at the art gallery this week to give participants a chance to contribute to her theme of rapid urban change and create pieces of their own.

Previous installations reveal a paper skyline of gnarled trees, skyscrapers and looming industrial towers.

While the duo has teamed up with musicians in the past, Robson is excited to integrate her work with the three artists curated for Traces by the AGGVB次元官网网址檚 Nicole Stanbridge.

Works by Daniel Barrow, Alison Norlen and Ed Pien push the boundaries of their genre by expanding scale and translating the drawings into three-dimensional space.

BarrowB次元官网网址檚 use of overhead projectors to adapt narratives is particularly hypnotizing and haunting, while Norlen compliments her well-known monumental drawings with wire sculptures of her sketched drawings.

PienB次元官网网址檚 technique includes, among other works, the surgical removal of tiny shavings of paper from a single sheet, revealing a delicate web of design with trenchant detail.

At Urbanite, Stanbridge will walk groups through the exhibition and demystify the themes behind each piece.

To purchase tickets to Urbanite or find out more about Traces, visit aggv.ca.

B次元官网网址淲e strongly encourage people to buy tickets to Urbanite in advance, because we are starting to develop line-ups outside,B次元官网网址� Muir said. B次元官网网址淏ut we never want to turn anyone away from the art gallery.B次元官网网址�