I’m finding it harder and harder to come across art in Toronto that is actually moving, thought-provoking and evocative on both a political and social level. That isn’t to say conceptual- or aesthetic-based works or exhibitions aren’t interesting or fulfilling, because they can be. But goosebumps-inducing projects seem fewer and farther between as artists’ media diversifies and even challenges the definition of an artist.
Enacting Emancipation is A Space’s latest programming effort that examines the struggles of land, exile and home as manifested by the four Indiginous and Palestinian artists who share their work and experience in this exhibition. Curated by Tannis Nielsen and Vicky Moufawad-Paul, Enacting Emancipation combines the heartbreak of displacement and the hope for survival and probability of return.
Emily Jacir, Where We Come From, 2001-2003
I haven’t had a chance to see the completed installation yet, but I have walked by the gallery every day this week just to keep tabs on how it’s coming along. John Halaka’s larger-than-life “pounding” (called such, as opposed to a drawing, because it was created using a stamp that reads “forgotten survivors”) is exceptionally intriguing and I can’t wait to see it up close. Emily Jacir’s text-image diptychs are also moving pieces. The artist asks exiled Palestinians, “If I could do anything for you, anywhere in Palestine, what would it be?” The responses are documented in English and Arabic, and are displayed alongside photographs of her completing the request. Four diptychs are on display in the A Space vitrines, so even if you come outside of gallery hours you can still take in some of what the show offers.
What I find particularly refreshing in this exploration of the experience of disenfranchisement is the curators’/artists’ willingness to address how they (particularly Jacir) were able to create this work because of the mobility provided to them by their American passports (or other Western privilege). Traveling freely to experience and document the places that so many of their compatriots are barred from is a circumstance laced with tension. Addressing the fact of it enhances the power of this exhibition by virtue of being self-aware.
Provocative art has the ability to bridge gaps of knowledge and awareness. The simplicity of this show aids in communicating a strong message that is still firmly located in the present, despite its origins in the past. I think that Enacting Emancipation is presented in a way that makes it easy to understand the kind of dislocation that has occurred between people and their land — surely anyone who has an immigrant story (or anyone who is a generation away from one) can relate on some level to the struggles being addressed. Direct imagery, familiar media, comprehensive read-out material — the workings of an excellent cultural/social/political exhibition that will be felt by people, not just art-aware audiences.
Enacting Emancipation runs until August 2, 2008. A Space is open Tuesday to Friday, 11am - 6pm and Saturday from 12pm - 5pm.
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COMMENTS / ONE COMMENT
waleed added these words on Jun 29 08 at 10:58 amregarding this: “Traveling freely to experience and document the places that so many of their compatriots are barred from is a circumstance laced with tension.”
there are certain caveats to that. so although many of them may have legitimate passports from other countries, the fact that they have palestinian IDs is a stigma especially when they are in israel or wishing to go back to the west bank/gaza. in a lot of cases they’ll get caught in one bantustan and at the check points they’ll be turned away. many of them don’t go back to see their families for that reason. their ‘western privilege’ is not wholesale particularly with respect to what’s most important - their families and homeland.
for instance, when the border between gaza and egypt was blown up earlier this year by hamas, a lot of gazans flooded into egypt and escaped to places like canada/sweden/US/etc… and they’ll never go back to see their families, ever. israel enforces permanent displacement in so many ways. ethnic cleansing is their science.thanks so much for posting about it.
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