Established in 2010 on Gabriola Island, on the unceded traditional territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation, the institute's mandate is to support the creation, exploration and presentation of interdisciplinary artistic practices, in playful and poetic engagement with nature, community, and critical discourse.

GICA's mission is to create a framework for experimentation with and discussion of the overlapping political, scientific, and artistic paradigms that shape a small community, and to strenghten the role artists play in defining these relationships.