blue is the colour of longing for the distance you never arrive in

Maddie Alexander

Curated by Katie Lawson

RESIDENCY DATES
September 8 – October 28, 2017

OPENING RECEPTION
Saturday, October 14 from 7-10PM

ZINE-MAKING WORKSHOP
Saturday, October 28 from 2-5PM

The gallery is open for events and by appointment.

In the book, A Field Guide to Getting Lost, Rebecca Solnit offers meditations on the seemingly unending process of (dis)orienting ourselves, whether it be to a moment; to the world; to our selves. She writes of a generative potential — to be lost is to be fully present, and to be fully present is to be capable of being in uncertainty, with the opportunity for a transformative experience. This state may be a conscious choice; a chosen surrender; or a psychic state achievable through geography. Could it be that there is something inherent in a geographic mark or specific locality which facilitates a particular kind of experience? What does it mean to reflect upon a period of uncertainty once you have returned home, so to speak?

In thinking through the process of locating oneself through the lens of corporeal feminism and embodied subjectivity, RÝMD in Reykjavík and Y+ contemporary in Scarborough will co-present newly commissioned work by Canadian artist Maddie Alexander. During a recent visit to Iceland, Alexander spent their time embedded in an unfamiliar landscape, walking, writing and attempting to come to terms with prevailing feelings of isolation and disorientation. The resulting video work will be screened at the offsite video space of RÝMD in conjunction with an extended body of work produced at Y+ as a part of the gallery’s new residency/exhibition model. It is accompanied by a publication collaboratively produced by the artist and curator.

blue is the colour of longing for the distance you never arrive in is co-presented with RÝMD in Reykjavík, Iceland. Programming support has been provided by the Toronto Arts Council.

FREE Contemporary Art Bus Tour
Sunday, October 15, 2017

The tour picks up at Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen Street West) then departs for Blackwood Gallery, Art Gallery of Mississauga, Art Gallery of York University and Y+ contemporary. To RSVP: email blackwood.gallery@utoronto.ca or call 905-828-3789 by Friday, October 13 at 5pm.

Zine-Making Workshop
Saturday, October 28, 2-5PM

Join us on the final day of the exhibition for an artist talk, walking tour and participatory zine-making workshop responding to ideas of memory and place-making. Alexander will discuss the exhibition in relation to their overall practice. Participants will be asked to bring 5-10 pieces (photographs, texts, or items) which can be placed on a flatbed scanner. No previous experience is necessary; this program welcomes individuals of all ages, skill levels and interests. This program is free of charge and the gallery itself is accessible with accommodations, while the washroom is unfortunately not.

Spaces are limited. To register, visit zine-making-workshop.eventbrite.ca.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Maddie Alexander is a Canadian artist practicing in Toronto, Ontario. They began their education at NSCAD University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and completed their BFA in Photography at OCAD University. They have exhibited both locally and internationally, and received the Project 31 Photography Award in 2016. Their practice is multidisciplinary but manifests mainly in moving or still image, text, and installation. Their work combines gesture + language to explore narratives around queer identity, intersectional feminist discourse, and mental illness.

ABOUT THE CURATOR

Katie Lawson is currently a student in the Master of Visual Studies Curatorial program at the University of Toronto, where she previously completed her MA in Contemporary Art. A writer, researcher and art educator, Lawson is the Art Editor for the Hart House Review and an advisory board member for Critical Distance Centre for Curators. She has lectured and participated in programming with Images Festival, The Gladstone Hotel, The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, and Universities throughout Ontario.