Give people a microphone and the chance to talk about their passions, and it could be a long night.
But give them six minutes and 20 slides (20 seconds per slide) that advance automatically, and you get an array of pithy yet thought-provoking ideas.
For its fourth PechaKucha night, meaning chit chat in Japanese, the city encouraged people to rethink transportation and the artist's role in planning, drawing from a repertoire of 12 transportation professionals, artists and designers.
"We are in constant motion," said Cameron Cartiere, dean of graduate studies at Emily Carr and first presenter. "We'll be spending more time waiting in airports in a post-911 world." Cartiere pointed to airport artwork at the Sacramento International Airport, such as a sculpture of Samson luggage, as a way to better engage the commuter and enrich their travelling experience.
In a similar vein, Kelly Lycan of the artist collective Instant Coffee, applied the same ideas to bus routes in Vancouver.
Some of Instant Coffee's projects included installing a SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) light at a bus shelter during wintertime with funhouse mirrors on either side to brighten a commuter's trip.
Many of the talks focused on the confluence of art and science to aesthetically add to the pleasantness of a journey, while enhancing its practicality.
"When we combine engineering and art, magic happens," said Richmond's director of transportation Victor Wei. "We have to look at how residents can move quickly with their spirits raised."
Wei discussed using transportation to bridge the gap between engineers and artists, as engineers build it, while artists celebrate it. He talked about Leonardo da Vinci who gave equal value to art and science as methods to investigate realities.
The role of the artist in transportation planning can extend beyond the creator of public art.
As Jeff Deby, way-finding planner at TransLink, pointed out, graphic design is an essential part of route planning and ensuring smooth transitions.
"I've seen artists involved in urban design projects and they can influence how things are laid out," said Fiss.
"It depends on the artist, they don't usually just come in at the end of the design to place artwork, but they're involved all the way through."
The first PechaKucha was held in Tokyo in 2003. Founded by architects Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham, it was a way for designers to trade ideas and network. Since then, the event has exploded globally, taking place in more than 600 cities. Richmond began hosting earlier this year.
Dozens of attendees grabbed a drink and a seat in the Cultural Centre's performance hall to listen to what presenters had to say, approaching them for more during intermission and at the end. The next PechaKucha night will be held on Feb. 20, 2014 at Kwantlen University.
