Arctic/Amazon: networks of global indigeneity

The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, Toronto, announces that its Fall 2022 exhibition: Arctic/Amazon: Networks of Global Indigeneity features the works of twelve artists from across three continents, taking on issues of climate change, globalized Indigeneity, and contact zones in the Arctic and Amazon during a time of crisis.

The exhibition encompasses both new and existing works, including painting, drawing, sculpture, installation, video, and performance. Curated by Governor General’s Award-winning Indigenous curator and educator Dr. Gerald McMaster — alongside co-curator Dr. Nina Vincent and institutional curator Noor Alé — Arctic/Amazon seeks to shed light on the geopolitical and environmental sustainability issues currently informing artistic practices in these two vastly different, yet interconnected, regions.

Adelina Vlas, Head of Curatorial Affairs, says: “At a time when Canada is striving toward reconciliation, this exhibition platforms contemporary Indigenous culture across borders and continents. We are grateful for the dedication and expertise Gerald McMaster and Nina Vincent bring to this project and are confident that the accompanying publication will contribute invaluable insights to the study of contemporary Indigenous art.”

Portrait of Olinda Silvano, 2019–20. Courtesy the artist. Photo: Rodolfo Arrascue.

Highlights include:

• Olinda Reshinjabe Silvano, Wilma Raynas, and Ronin Koshi (Peru) will be collaborating with students from OCAD University on a new large-scale commission for The Power Plant and a mural at Toronto Metropolitan University;
• Outi Pieski (Finland) will exhibit an installation using duodji, a Sámi craft tradition;
• Ontario-based Couzyn van Heuvelen (Canada) will be presenting a selection of sculptures both at the gallery and elsewhere in the city as part of Nuit Blanche, Toronto’s free all-night contemporary art event on October 1, 2022.

The additional participating artists are:

• Tanya Lukin Linklater (United States/Canada)
• Uýra (Indigenous in diaspora)
• Máret Ánne Sara (Norway)
• Morzaniel Iramari (Brazil)
• Gisela Motta & Leandro Lima (Brazil)
• Sheroanawe Hakihiiwe (Venezuela)
• Sonya Kelliher-Combs (United States)
• Pia Arke (Greenland/Denmark)

Arctic/Amazon: Networks of Global Indigeneity is open to the public until December 31, 2022.

The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery – 231 Queens Quay West, Toronto, ON, Canada.

Tuesday-Sunday: 10am-6pm / Wednesday: 10am-8pm / Holiday Mondays: 10am-5pm / Free admission

“Nitsiik 13”, by Couzyn van Heuvelen, 2019. Ceramic, rope, 137 x 46 cm. Courtesy the artist and Fazakas Gallery, Vancouver.