Michael Belmore’s Solace Included in Ice Follies

In February 2010, the W.K.P. Kennedy Public Art Gallery returned to the 4′-thick ice of Lake Nipissing to host the fourth Ice Follies Biennial, a site-specific exhibition of contemporary art works by national and international artists, featuring eight new artworks that consider or thematically reflect the idea of the ice fishing hut. 2010 once again expanded the possibilities of art-making and viewing on ice – including architectural installations and sound art.

Michael Belmore, Solace, 2010

Michael Belmore’s Solace made use of a smaller used ice-fishing shack sealed and wired to display gold-leaf inlayed river stones. “Grandfather” stones that were viewed from the outside through windows and a glass panel in the door of the shack. Much of Michaels work explores the use of technology and how it has affected our relationship to nature.

Artist Bio:
Michael Belmore, who is of Ojibway heritage, born north of Thunder Bay, graduated in Sculpture/Installation from the Ontario College of Art in 1994. Belmore has shown his work extensively in Canada including exhibitions at the Woodland Cultural Centre, Brantford, the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, Toronto and the Toronto Sculpture Garden. His works are included in the collections of the Indian Art Centre, Hull; the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Kleinberg; Thunder Bay Art Gallery and the Agnes Etherington Art Centre in Kingston, among others. Barkhouse and Belmore, recently completed the sculpture Esker for the Millennium Park in Peterborough.