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The Justina M. Barnicke Gallery presents:
Jan Verwoert
Why are conceptual artists painting again?
Because they think it’s a good idea.
November 1, 6:00 – 8:00
George Ignatieff Theatre
Trinity College, University of Toronto
15 Devonshire Place (between Bloor and Hoskin)
Admission is free
Presented in conjunction with Traffic: Conceptual Art in Canada 1965-1980
September 10 to November 28, 2010
University of Toronto Galleries
Berlin-based critic Jan Verwoert has been examining the developments of art after Conceptualism. Held in conjunction with the exhibition Traffic: Conceptual Art in Canada 1965-1980, his lecture is concerned with the way in which the basic conditions of art practice have changed and what words and models might be used to open up the potentials at the heart of the developments in art after Conceptualism.
As he writes: “The dominant models no longer satisfy. It makes no sense to melodramatically invoke the “end of painting” (or any other medium-specific practice for that part) when the continuous emergence of fascinating work obviously proves apocalyptic endgame scenarios wrong. Yet, to pretend it were possible to go back to business as usual seems equally impossible because the radical expansion of artistic possibilities through the landslide changes of the 1960s leave medium-specific practices in the odd position of being one among many modes of artistic articulation, with no preset justification. How can we describe then what medium-specific practices like painting or sculpture can do today?
Likewise, it seems that we can still not quite convincingly describe to ourselves what Conceptual Art can be: An art of pure ideas? As if “pure” idea art were ever possible let alone desirable! An art of smart strategic moves and puns? We have advertising agencies for that. The social and political dimension of Conceptualism has been discussed, but often only in apodictic terms, not acknowledging the humour, the wit, the existential, emotional or erotic aspects, as well as the iconophile, not just iconoclast motives, that have always also been at play in the dialectics and politics of life-long conceptual practices.
Unfortunately, a certain understanding of conceptualism has had incredibly stifling effects on how people approach their practice, namely the idea that to have a concept in art means to know exactly why you do what you do – before you ever even do it. This assumption has effectively increased the pressure on artists to occupy the genius-like position of a strategist who would clearly know the rules of how to do the right thing, the legitimate thing. How could we invent a language that would describe the potentials of contemporary practice, acknowledge a sense of crisis and doubt, yet break the spell of the senseless paranoia over legitimation – and instead help to transform critical art practice into a truly gay science based on a shared sense of appreciation and irreverence?”
Jan Verwoert teaches art at the Piet Zwart Institute in Rotterdam, works as a contributing editor to frieze magazine and writes for different publications. His book Bas Jan Ader – In Search of the Miraculous was published by Afterall/MIT Press in 2006. The collection of his essays Tell Me What You Want What You Really Really Want has just been published by Sternberg Press/Piet Zwart Institute.
The lecture is presented in advance of the international conference Traffic: Conceptualism in Canada. Organized by the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, the conference is held in conjunction with the exhibition Traffic: Conceptual Art in Canada 1965 – 1980 which is on view at the University of Toronto Galleries until November 28.
Registration opens November 1, 2010.
The exhibition and conference are made possible through the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Hal Jackman Foundation.
Justina M. Barnicke Gallery
Hart House, University of Toronto
7 Hart House Circle
Toronto, ON M5S 3H3
CANADA
jmb.gallery@utoronto.ca
www.jmbgallery.ca
416-978-8398
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INTERNATIONAL LECTURE SERIES / Thomas Hirschhorn
May 19, 2010
Call the Harbourfront Centre Box Office at 416.973.4000 to purchase/reserve tickets.
Please note: reserved Members’ tickets will be released for resale if not picked up by the start of the lecture.
The celebrated Swiss artist Thomas Hirschhorn (born in 1957, Bern) discusses his recent Amsterdam-based project, The Bijlmer Spinoza-Festival (2009). Since the 1980s, the Paris-based former graphic designer has evolved a radical sculpture and installation practice that makes monumental works with humble materials like cardboard and packing tape to engage viewers in conversation about philosophy and global politics. Recent solo exhibitions have taken place at the Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Castilla y Leon, Spain (2006), Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal (2007), Museo Tamayo, Mexico (2008), and the Gladstone Gallery, New York (2009). Hirschhorn has received the Marcel Duchamp Prize (2001) and the Joseph Beuys Prize (2004).
International Lecture Series Lead Donor
J. P. Bickell Foundation
Cultural Agency Supporter
Consulat Général de France à Toronto
Prices
FREE: Members
$12: Non-Members
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
7:00PM
Studio Theatre
York Quay Centre, 235 Queens Quay West
(Map)
Part of The Globe and Mail Open House Festival. Recorded Sunday 10 May 2009
From TVO
Big Ideas, September 26, 2009: A Crisis in Leadership
Intellectual heavyweights John Ralston Saul, Naomi Klein, Margaret MacMillan and Adam Gopnik discuss ‘A Crisis in Leadership’ at the Globe and Mail Open House Festival. The panelists reflect on what constitutes a good leader and why some leaders fail while others thrive. Journalist Carol Off is the moderator.
For more information on this episode, including information on the guests and various other resources and links, visit the episode webpage
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Note: This is an iPod video podcast that is available for free download from the website. Quality is good. Audio podcast (mp3 format) is also available for free download.
Video: MPEG4 Video (H264) 320×240 Type: m4v file Size: 177MB Runtime: 00:54:50
Audio: AAC 32000Hz mono 48Kbps
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Valuing Culture:
TOWN HALL REGARDING CUTS TO CULTURAL AND HERITAGE GRANTING PROGRAMS
Wednesday, September 3, 2008, at 7 p.m.
The Theatre Centre, 1087 Queen Street West
(South East corner of Queen and Dovercourt)
For more details: departmentofculture.ca
Who should come?
Everyone concerned about ensuring the social and cultural health and prosperity of our nation in the face of a Federal Government that is aggressively undermining the values that define Canada.
Who will be speaking?
* Claire Hopkinson, Toronto Arts Council
* Susan Swan, Former President, The Writers Union
* Lisa Fitzgibbons, Executive Director, Documentary Organization of Canada
* Naomi Klein, Writer and Political Analyst
What will we be doing?
Talking about the issues and proposing a comprehensive strategy for unseating key Conservatives in the imminent election, both in the GTA and across the country.
Why is this important?
Because cuts and policy changes are radically changing Canadian society.
This event is as much about funding cuts to women’s groups, youth training programs, harm reduction programs, food inspection, environmental organizations and health policy, as it is about cuts to arts funding. It should not be too much to expect a decent society to live in, one that prioritizes the welfare of it citizens before the wealth of a few. We are placing the issue of defunding arts and culture in relation to vast cuts to Canada’s social safety net made by a socially irresponsible Conservative government. We are bringing artists together to:
* Lend our creative and organizational skills to the goal of unseating Conservative MPs from government;
* Ensure that the electorate is intelligently informed about the policies and issues
* Hold other parties and candidates to task for their social and cultural agendas;
* Make alliances with other like-minded communities and organizations.
What’s the background?
The recent wave of cuts by the Conservative government has sent shockwaves throughout an already resource-strapped arts community. Since taking power in 2006, the Conservative Government has eliminated almost $60 Million from Cultural and Heritage Granting Programs.
The most recent cuts:
* The PromArt Program, $4.7 million (administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade)
* Trade Routes, $9 million, Department of Canadian Heritage
* Stabilization Projects and Capacity Building, of the Canadian Arts and Heritage Sustainability Program, $3.4 Million
* Canadian Independent Film and Video Fund, $1.5 million
* National Training Program in the Film and Video Sector, $2.5 million
* $300,000 to the Audio-Visual Preservation Trust of Canada, for programs archiving important film, television and musical recordings.
* Canadian New Media Fund, $14.5 million
This meeting is intended to articulate the issues and organize a plan of action. If an election is called, we will establish swing teams to unseat Conservatives in every city across the country. If there is no election, the same teams will be organized to criticize, challenge and creatively pressure the government to change their policies
This event is brought to you by the DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE: Franco Boni, Izida Zorde, Heather Haynes, Darren O’Donnell, Gregory Elgstrand, Sara Graham, Graham F. Scott, Roy Mitchell, Naomi Campbell, Anthea Foyer, Michael Wheeler, Brenda Goldstein.
The DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE wants you as a member. Anyone interested in organizing, doing research, writing, making graphics, videos, blitzing ridings, attending all-candidates meetings, marching in the streets or contributing funds should contact: membership@departmentofculture.ca
For more information or media inquiries contact: media@departmentofculture.ca