Scott Benesiinaabandan: newlandia: debaabaminaagwad

Opening and CONTACT launch party: April 27, 7–11 pm
April 28 – June 1, 2018: Egerton Ryerson Statue (Gould St and Bond St)
April 28 – August 5, 2018: Lake Devo (Gould St and Victoria St)
Curator: Bonnie Rubenstein

Montreal-based artist Scott Benesiinaabandan (Obishikokaang Anishinaabe First Nation) explores the historical complexities that are often buried under the metaphorical weight of monuments that commemorate colonial stories. This site-specific installation is part of Benesiinaabandan’s ongoing series newlandia: debaabaminaagwad. On view from April 28 to June 1, abstracted imagery in the form of a shadow-like silhouette will be adhered to the sidewalk adjacent to Toronto Metropolitan University's (formerly Ryerson University) contested Egerton Ryerson statue. On view from April 28 to August 5, fragmented patterns are conformed to the irregular surfaces of the boulders in nearby Devonian Pond, recalling Indigenous petroglyphs and ancient ceremonial sites. Literally and metaphorically, these digital landscapes speak to a highly-contentious past that renounced Indigenous rights to their traditions and ancestral lands. Benesiinaabandan’s installation offers a new interpretation of this historically-charged site, framing powerful and imaginative trajectories for a possible future.




Event(s):

Opening Party & Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival
Friday, April 27
7:00–11:00 PM