 | Sunday, October 10, 2021 | |  | Sunday, October 10, 2021 | | Hi, art lovers! | | | Luminato launches Wednesday, and wherever you are in Canada, you’ll be able to watch one of this year’s festival highlights, an original special from the minds of Director X, curator Umbereen Inayet (Nuit Blanche Toronto) and choreographer Tanisha Scott. Starting at 8 p.m. ET on Oct. 15, head to CBC Gem to watch dancers perform on the shores of Lake Ontario as part of a production called New Monuments. And that title? It should evoke any number of headlines about dudes on horses. (Queens too, for that matter.)
What is a monument? Who or what deserves to be represented? And as for the monuments we already have, if they stand for racism, hate, exclusion — the opposite of what we as a culture say we value — then what do we do with them? Every time some lump of bronze is ripped off its pedestal, those ideas are at play, same as they are in many recent artworks. Earlier this year, Anique Jordan wrote for CBC Arts about some of the “powerful public interventions” that have happened in Toronto throughout the pandemic. And a little further back, in 2019, the same subject matter inspired an exhibition that appeared at the Bentway (and four other locations around North America): New Monuments for New Cities. You could argue there’s a “new monument movement” going on. (And here’s some analysis of solid reads on that point.) Just a few weeks back, an audit of U.S. monuments was released — a document that reflects an obvious fact about who holds the power in American culture (answer: rich white men), plus this one weird and disappointing detail: “22 U.S. monuments feature mermaids; just two represent congresswomen.” That study was produced by Monument Lab, a cultural organization entirely dedicated to investigating “the past, present and future of monuments.” Co-founded in 2012 by Paul M. Farber and Vancouver-born artist Ken Lum, its work is extensive, and this long read from 2020 takes you inside the initiative while offering insight into this transformative moment.
But yes, back to the NEW New Monuments. If you don’t want to miss the show, register online and you’ll be reminded of when to tune in. And of course, there’s lots more to experience at Luminato. Get the full festival program here. | | | And because we promised you eye candy ... | | |  | Rajni Perera | This year’s Sobey Art Award exhibition is now open at the National Gallery of Canada, featuring selections from this year’s five finalists: Gabi Dao, Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory, Lorna Bauer, Rémi Belliveau and Rajni Perera. (Flood, a 2020 work by Perera, is pictured here.) | | | | |  | Amy Brener | | Flexi-Shield (Eostra) by Victoria-born artist Amy Brener. I really want to get a closer look at this one, and if you’re thinking the exact same thing (and you’re in the Toronto area), good news: a similar piece is at the Art Museum at the University of Toronto right now. Find it in one of their current exhibitions, Plastic Heart: Surface All the Way Through. | | | | |  | @catherinetelfordkeogh/Instagram | | Another little sneak peek from that Plastic Heart exhibition. This work is by Catherine Telford Keogh, and yes, that’s totally a bag full of Mr. Clean. | | | | |  | @ehowwy/Instagram | | Finding your intuition in a strong current. Illustration by Eli Howey. | | | | |  | CBC | | | | | Who’s been watching Sort Of on CBC Gem? A comedy about a gender-fluid millennial who puts their dreams on pause to work as a nanny in Toronto, the show was created by Bilal Baig (who also stars) and Fab Filippo. CBC Arts caught up with the duo. | | | | |  | | Makeda Silvera | | | | | Writer Makeda Silvera shares her memories of Dewson House. Back in the ‘80s, this Dufferin Grove address wasn’t just a place to live, it was a hub for art and activism. | | | | |  | Ghazaleh Rastgar | | | | | Ghazaleh Rastgar designed this CBC gem as a tribute to Women’s History Month. Get to know the Toronto artist. | | | | |  | @beestanton/Instagram | | The folks in CBC’s communications department highlighted Bee’s work as part of a contest they’re running this month. If you’re already doing #inktober (and love CBC swag), check out the rules for #sketchcbc. | | | | | Share this newsletter | | or subscribe if this was
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I’m Leah Collins, senior writer at CBC Arts. Until next time! | | | | | |
