WESTERN FRONT – Bed Jam

Description:

While in residence at Western Front, Ami Xherro invited the public to participate in an open exploration of material from her work-in-progress “Bed Year.”

A mattress on the floor of the Grand Luxe Hall established a central gathering point where attendees were invited to participate in Xherro’s informal, shared reading and performance space. Xherro guided participants through a series of improvisatory prompts that functioned as open invitations to engage by speaking, singing, or reading from loosely scattered pages of “Bed Year” arranged throughout the room.

Attendees were welcome to come and go as they wished over the course of the evening.

Five people gather around a mattress placed on the floor of the Grand Luxe Hall at Western Front. Some sit on the mattress while others sit on the light brown carpet, surrounded by white sheets of paper scattered across the floor. A participant with short black hair, wearing a green hoodie and white socks, sits on the mattress speaking while the others listen attentively. Daylight enters from outside, while a lit floor lamp illuminates the gathering. A long black curtain forms the backdrop behind them.

Artist Ami Xherro, wearing a blue top and black skirt, sits on the floor of the Grand Luxe Hall in conversation with a participant seated on a mattress placed on the floor. Two other participants sit nearby, observing the exchange. A floor lamp illuminates the group, while white sheets of paper, pens, a paper coffee cup, and a glass of wine are scattered across the floor around them. All four appear focused on the conversation.

Eight people are spread across the Grand Luxe Hall. Some sit on the floor around a white mattress placed on the carpet, while others sit on wooden chairs backed against the walls. One participant lies on the mattress with his head on a white pillow, gazing at the ceiling; he wears a blue shirt and dark jeans. Across the floor, various materials are scattered, including white sheets of paper, small black floor cushions, a large roll of white paper, pens, and backpacks.

Artist Ami Xherro and three participants lie on the carpeted floor of the Grand Luxe Hall in a radial formation, with their heads meeting at a central point and their bodies extending outward in four directions. All four touch at the head while their limbs extend away from the centre. Each participant crosses their arms over their chest and holds their mouth open as if vocalizing together. White sheets of paper are scattered across the floor around them.

A mattress with white sheets and four white pillows lies at the centre of the Grand Luxe Hall, creating a staged, domestic-like scene. Daylight enters through the windows, while a floor lamp casts warm incandescent light onto the mattress. A participant wearing a black blouse and dark jeans lies on the light brown carpeted floor with their head resting against the side of the mattress for support. They read from a bundle of white sheets of paper. Around them, objects are scattered across the floor, including additional sheets of paper, a pink backpack, a small black cushion, a water bottle, and pens.

Captions:

Ami Xherro, Bed Jam, photo documentation, May 14, 2026. Photo by Dennis Ha.
Ami Xherro, Bed Jam, photo documentation, May 14, 2026. Photo by Dennis Ha.
Ami Xherro, Bed Jam, photo documentation, May 14, 2026. Photo by Dennis Ha.
Ami Xherro, Bed Jam, photo documentation, May 14, 2026. Photo by Dennis Ha.
Ami Xherro, Bed Jam, photo documentation, May 14, 2026. Photo by Dennis Ha.
Ami Xherro, Bed Jam, photo documentation, May 14, 2026. Photo by Dennis Ha.
Ami Xherro, Bed Jam, photo documentation, May 14, 2026. Photo by Dennis Ha.

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Western Front is a non-profit artist-run centre in Vancouver.

We acknowledge the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations as traditional owners of the land upon which Western Front stands.