Exhibition

Canada > Archive by tag 'Exhibition'

Hot Art: Relive History at the Market Gallery

B.T.A. Griffiths' The Death of Captain McNeale at the Battle of York (image courtesy of the City of Toronto)

MARCH 3 TO SEPTEMBER 8 This year marks the bicentennial of the War of 1812, which pitted American forces against British colonial troops. Toronto, then known as York, was the site of fevered combat as the war continued in 1813—the Battle of York saw the Americans capture our sylvan settlement and subsequently put it to the torch. The Market Gallery commemorates this skirmish with a Book of Remembrance, which records the names of soldiers who died in battle, plus a display of rare battlefield artifacts, plus first-person accounts of the fighting, custom-designed maps and a newly acquired painting, The Death of Captain McNeale at the Battle of York by B.T.A. Griffiths, that depicts a dramatic scene from the struggle. The exhibition marks the first of many events in Toronto marking the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812.

Hot Date: Behold the Genius of da Vinci

Da Vinci's mechanical lion, with his famous The Last Supper in the background

OCTOBER 13 TO MARCH 18 The science of art and machines are on display at the Ontario Science Centre, and who better to lead the tour than Leonardo da Vinci? Figuratively speaking, of course. Leonardo da Vinci’s Workshop features 20 scale models of the Renaissance man’s inventions, including his Mechanical Lion, Great Kite and Aerial Screw. Visitors can use touch screens to investigate the famed codices in which da Vinci sketched his designs, and see what his paintings would have originally looked like without restoration. Ontario Science Centre, $17 to $25; call 416-696-1000 or visit here
for passes.

Hot Art: Approachable Project

Reinvention by Stev’nn Hall

MARCH 3 TO 6 Two hundred independent and emerging artists gather this month for The Artist Project Toronto. Accessibility is paramount at this annual exhibition, which encourages both novices and seasoned collectors to interact directly with creators. Ask Stev’nn Hall how he achieves the mystifying effect of his photo-based works, or find out how movement informs the paintings of Lysanne Pepin. Visitors can also walk down Installation Alley to see immersive large-scale works, experience the digital revolution at the Video ArtBox new-media display, and learn what inspires participants in a series of art chat seminars. Exhibition Place, Queen Elizabeth Building; call 416-960-3680 for more information.

Hot Date: Auto Show’s Hot Wheels

Mercedes Benz at the Canadian International Auto Show

FEBRUARY 18 TO 27 Rev your engines—the annual Canadian International Auto Show drives into town. Amidst the latest vehicles from manufacturers like Mercedes Benz, visitors can also peruse an exhibit honouring the classic Chevrolet Camaro, and check out fuel-efficient autos, too. Metro Toronto Convention Centre, adults $20, children $7; call 905-940-2800 for further details.

Hot Date: The Science of Disasters

An F-4 Category Tornado (photo © Carsten Peter/National Geographic Image Collection)

OPENS FEBRUARY 11 It would seem that natural disasters and their effect on the world have dramatically increased in recent times. Many blame climate change, but some uncertainty still exists when it comes to predicting and explaining these incidents. The Ontario Science Centre sets out to demystify phenomena like hurricanes and volcanic eruptions in its latest exhibit, Nature Unleashed. Developed by Chicago’s Field Museum, the display provides an interactive, educational look into extreme weather and other elemental forces and how we adapt to them. Be enveloped by the roar of a tornado, monitor earthquakes in real time, and discover how science helps us better understand such demonstrations of nature’s power. Adults $20, children $13; call 416-696-1000 or click here for more information.

Hot Art: Inuit Imagery

Drummer, by Feheley Fine Arts artist Idris Moss-Davies

Excellent artworks produced in Canada’s northern communities are available at top Toronto galleries.

1. For sheer volume, it’s hard to beat Eskimo Art Gallery, which offers more than 1,000 contemporary Inuit carvings.

2. Yorkville’s Feheley Fine Arts represents progressive printmakers like Itee Pootoogook and sculptors such as Idris Moss-Davies, whose works reflect a modern aesthetic.

3. The Guild Shop, the retail boutique of the Ontario Crafts Council, is the province’s oldest dealer of Inuit and Native art, with many carvings, paintings, tapestries and even Inuit jewellery.

4. The striking sculptures of Floyd Kuptana are featured prominently at Maslak McLeod Gallery alongside numerous classical Inuit carvings.

5. Like what you see amongst the extensive collection at the Museum of Inuit Art? Its adjoining commercial gallery sells sculptures, prints and more, sourced directly from Arctic cooperatives.

Hot Art: Elliott Wilcox’s Courtside Shots

Elliott Wilcox's Real Tennis 09

JANUARY 15 TO 29 Rarely do we think of sports fields divorced from the activity that occurs upon them. After all, what is a hockey rink without skaters? A baseball diamond minus pitcher and batter? It turns out that in the case of squash, racquetball and “real” tennis courts, there’s quite a lot to see. At Bau-Xi Photo, Elliott Wilcox reveals the geometric and textural beauty of these playing surfaces stripped of their action. The emerging British photographer’s images are painterly in their depictions of ball markings and service lines, exposing unnoticed corners, edges and crevices of these intimate spaces.

Hot Art: Indian Royalty at the AGO

NOVEMBER 20 TO APRIL 3 No matter how far removed this modern era seems from the age of kings and queens, the power, wealth, achievements and vices of such monarchs remains fascinating—enthusiasm for Prince William of Great Britain’s engagement is but the latest example. The Art Gallery of Ontario indulges royal watchers with its latest exhibition, Maharaja: The Splendour of India’s Royal Courts. This comprehensive look at the subcontinent’s rulers from the 18th to 20th centuries features more than 200 objects and artworks, including paintings, jewellery, and even a custom “Star of India” Rolls Royce. In all, these opulent artifacts comprise some of the country’s most important treasures, and detail a legacy of cultural and artistic patronage that impacted both Asia and the Western world.

Hot Art: Gardiner’s Medium Mash-Up

Brendan Tang's Manga Ormolu 4.0-b

OCTOBER 7 TO JANUARY 31 The Gardiner Museum continues to pursue its mission of demonstrating that plates and teacups are no longer the ceramic arts’ sole concern. Its current exhibition, Breaking Boundaries, does just that by presenting a variety of sculptural pieces that adapt an age-old art form to contemporary circumstances and perceptions. Featuring works by four young Canadian ceramicists—Shary Boyle, Marc Courtemanche, Carmela Laganse, and Brendan Tang, whose hybrid vessels combine conventional porcelain with Japanese comic-book imagery—the display pushes the limits of the medium itself, as well as the viewer’s imagination.