ONE WORLD/MANY PEOPLE extended until April 10th

In the 21st century, the forces of political, technological and economic globalization have resulted in the merging of people from many nationalities and cultures. Sin-ying Ho’s One World/Many Peoples illustrates the course of such an encounter between colliding cultures and eras. The deconstruction and reconstruction of objects is a visual demonstration of the transformation that occurs when time and cultures collide. Ho draws our attention to cross-cultural experience by combining apparently divergent elements, such as hand painted and digital images into single works of art. In this exhibition, Ho juxtaposes fragments of various Eastern and Western forms and imagery to comment on contemporary postcolonial theory, which critiques Imperial Europe by examining issues such as slavery, migration, race, gender, and place. Come listen to the artist speak during March 28th Opening at 1pm.

Next exhibition:

March 28 to June 6, 2010 with opening on March 28 from 1 to 5pm
With artists:
Michele Karch-Ackerman: Foundling
Susan Low Beer: State of Grace
And an exhibition from our permanent collection

Foundling

Michèle Karch-Ackerman

Michèle Karch-Ackerman’s latest interactive installation project, “Foundling” honours the lives of unwed mothers and the babies they were asked to give up. Inspired by her grandmother’s experience as an unwed mother staying at the Misericordia Home in the 1920s, the exhibition sheds light on a secret chapter in Canadian history. By working with the ‘domestic acts of love’ the artist stitches a meditation on loss. “Foundling” is an acknowledgement and prayer for those young mothers and their babies and their sorrows. Michèle Karch-Ackerman is a nationally recognized contemporary artist whose installations have been featured in public galleries across Canada. With influences drawn from history, literature and experience, her works have inspired viewers with their challenging subject matter and aesthetics. “Foundling” will continue to tour to the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum, The Grimsby Public Gallery, The Art Gallery of Peterborough, and The Tom Thomson Gallery where it will be featured as part of a retrospective of the artist’s work in 2012.

State of Grace

Susan Low-Beer

In “State of Grace,” Susan Low-Beer’s interpretive clay sculptures of children capture the buoyancy, movement, and lightness of innocent joyful exuberance. An intentional ambiguity about specifics adds mystery, much depth, and meaning. Susan Low Beer is represented in the collections of the Museum of Civilization, the Modern Museum of Fine Arts, The National Museum of Modern Art in Japan, The Mint Museum of Craft and Design, the Burlington Art Centre, and the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, as well the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery and numerous private collections.

Rhinos

Cristian Raduta

Romania is in a transitional period after 50 years of communism and its aftermath. Young artists are finding their voices by combining their individual views and experiences with the social, and political environment and transferring these back into their work. Against this backdrop, Romanian artist Cristian Raduta is fascinated by the ‘confrontation of the bestiary’ (compendium of beasts made popular during the Middle Ages). His rhino sculptures hover over the realms of fables and myths, and oscillate between their world and ours. Still, they remain well-grounded, solid, and hold their space; they seem timeless as they invite us to some unreachable other world. Raduta received his MFA from the National University of Art in Bucharest, and amongst his exhibition credits, he was in the 2008 Carnival Exhibition in the Italian Pavilion of the Venice Biennale.

We wish to thank 418 Contemporary Art Gallery from Bucharest who made the loan of these works possible.

The Gallery will also be featuring recent glass donations in the Mutual Tower Gallery starting April 13, 2010