VANCOUVER.- It is an art gallery without the tired feet. No walls or parking, a zero intimidation factor and admission is totally free. Called CODE Screen 2010, the aim of this series of online exhibitions is to take a sample of Canada’s best and most thought-provoking contemporary art out of the museum and onto computer screens everywhere.

CODE Screen 2010 debuts today along with a unique feature that can be downloaded to automatically receive a fresh exhibition every two weeks counting down to the Games. It is the second of a series of digital projects to be launched as part of CODE, the Cultural Olympiad’s digital edition, at www.vancouver2010.com/code. Using the web, CODE Screen 2010 is adding to the visual arts program that will be showcased during the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad, presented by Bell.

Over the last year, six professional curators have scanned the entire contemporary Canadian art landscape to create 14 unique and easily accessible exhibitions of sculpture, photography, 2-D, and performance/installation art by a diverse range of artists across the country. Each exhibition has been inspired by a work of art created by a winner of the prestigious Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts, handed out annually by the Canada Council for the Arts.

“CODE Screen 2010 is a unique undertaking for Canadian art and it extends the experience of the Cultural Olympiad directly to Canadians and people around the world no matter where they are,” said Burke Taylor, vice president, culture and celebrations for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). “Through our partnership with the Canada Council for the Arts on this project we’re able to share over 100 extraordinary works of art selected by some of the top curators in the country.”

The first exhibition, released today, is inspired by the work Bees Behaving on Blue by Governor General’s Award winner Michael Snow, an internationally renowned artist best known for his influential work in experimental films. Viewers can simply press play and watch as the evocative images automatically appear on their screen or they can go at their own pace and create their own experience, learning more about the art by reading the explanations provided.

“The entire CODE project is all about using digital technology to devise ways to connect, create and collaborate with audiences and artistic communities,” explained Rae Hull, director of CODE. “CODE Screen 2010 is Canadian art on your screen — how you connect with it, where you see it and who you see it with is completely up to you.”

New exhibitions will be released every two weeks and run through to March 2010 during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. As a reminder, visitors to www.vancouver2010.com/code can download an application to have CODE Screen 2010 one click away and be alerted when these new exhibitions are posted.