Subconscious City
SUBCONSCIOUS CITY
February 8 to May 11, 2008
Public opening 7:30pm, Thursday, February 14, 2008 with performances by John K. Samson, Christine Fellows, and Freya Olafson.
Curated by Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millan, Adjunct Curators
Subconscious City examines the often hidden underpinnings of Winnipeg – its myths, its vacant lots, its forgotten communities, its hidden gems – and reveals a complicated picture of where we live and work. More than a tourist snapshot or glossy one-great-city image, this contemporary exhibition delves deeply into the nature of our urban social and physical landscape and its power to shape identity. An outstanding roster of 27 local artists, reflecting different media, different stages in their careers, and different points of view, will be featured in this artful expression of civic pride.
The exhibition explores interiors and exteriors of Winnipeg; our people; our neighbourhoods; our treatment of what we would prefer remains unseen; and our predilection for paving over what is deemed undesirable. Artists in Winnipeg have always been vocal about the complex and marvelous city that is Winnipeg, as well as what it could be. Through their activism and their art, they have asserted, inspired, and nuanced images of this place. This exhibition reflects this engaged relationship between artists and their home.
- Matthew