Vancouver artist Myfanwy MacLeod's new exhibition "Trophies" at the Burnaby Art Gallery explores the history of the Ceperley Mansion, which once housed the Delta Upsilon fraternity. The show features a giant foam-resin donkey head, collages of Donald Trump and beer kegs, and other works that link fraternity culture to ancient Greek masculine rites. Curated by Jennifer Cane, the exhibition incorporates remnants from the frat era, including graffiti-covered doors and murals, to create a site-specific commentary on masculinity.
The exhibition matters because it uses the unique history of the gallery site—a 1911 mansion that transitioned from a family home to a monastery, a cult headquarters, and a frat house before becoming an art gallery—to draw connections between contemporary masculinity, pop culture, and art history. MacLeod's work offers a humorous yet critical lens on power dynamics and social rituals, reflecting broader cultural tensions in the current moment.