Michael Belmore, Robert Houle and Camille Turner at the Art Gallery of Ontario
EVERY. NOW. THEN: REFRAMING NATIONHOOD AT THE ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO EXHIBITION OVERVIEW
Taking over the entire fourth floor of the AGO’s Contemporary Tower, Every. Now. Then: Reframing Nationhood explores three urgent questions through the eyes of some of the country’s best emerging and established artists: where has Canada come from, what it is now, and where is it going?
The 150th anniversary of Canada is a moment to rewrite and reclaim the official narrative of Canadian history and move into the future with new insight. Acknowledging that Canada’s sesquicentennial represents a narrow slice of time in the larger historical record of the land, the artworks featured in this exhibition engage with a broad range of cultural, traditional, spiritual and land-based stories. At the heart of the exhibition is the belief that Canada is a dynamic work in progress anchored by strong Indigenous voices and a complexity of cultures and identities.
The multimedia installation features new and recent projects by artists from across Canada, including Barry Ace, Michael Belmore, Camille Turner, Amalie Atkins, Gu Xiong and Yu Gu, Robert Houle, Meryl McMaster, Seth, Esmaa Mohamoud, Ed Pien and Shuvinai Ashoona, among many others who are shaping Canada’s next generation of artists.
Organized by the Art Gallery of Ontario
Curated by Andrew Hunter (the AGO’s Fredrik S. Eaton Curator, Canadian Art) with Quill Christie-Peters (artist and youth educator), Anique Jordan (Exhibition Co-curator) and Laura Robb (AGO Interpretive Planner).
Michael Belmore exhibition ‘thunder sky turbulent water’ at Central Art Garage