VISUAL ARTS
ADAM PENDLETON: MY EDUCATION, A PORTRAIT OF DAVID HILLIARD takes viewers to the site of a fatal 1968 gun battle between Black Panther Party (BPP) activists and the police of Oakland, Calif. Hilliard, a founding member of the BPP, recalls the shootout from half a century earlier, describing how police followed and surrounded the Panthers, initiating the attack. My Education’s quiet, contemplative mood and luminescent black-and-white images contrast with and trouble Hilliard’s descriptions of violence and eruption, inviting discussion about a fraught moment in American history. Ryerson Image Centre (33 Gould St., 416-979-5164). Until April 9.
AU NATURAL: A PROJECT BY JUSTINE LATOUR PRESENTED IN COLLABORATION WITH ERIC WATTERS Before Christianity put down its roots through Europe, there was such a thing as an unadorned, unadulterated female nude. During the time of Ancient Greece, women’s bodies were not a thing of shame or disgust, but rather something that was celebrated in all of its glory. In today’s society, laws concerning decency and obscenity have made us believe that female nakedness is sinful, ugly and evil.
Au Natural, a five-look wearable art collection, hopes to dispute these common views concerning nudity and also highlight issues of gender inequality in current censorship laws and policies. Consisting of three-dimensional construction, print and transparency, it looks to exhibit the natural body in a celebratory and beautiful way and inspire positive outlooks and opinions surrounding the female nude. Ryerson Artspace at the Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen St. W., 416-531-4635). Until April 2.
FEMME FUTURE: WRESTLING W RESIDENCY Femme Future turns the Art Hut into a multi-media imagining of a feminist wrestling utopia. A circular, hand-built ring in the centre of the room acts as a wrestling platform and stage, where performers throughout the city will be invited to make use of the space. The installation also features video from a year-long documentation process by league member Amy Siegel. Public reception this Friday from 7-10 p.m. Gladstone Art Hut (1181 Queen St. W., 647-7937026). Monday until April 9.
FRANCIS ALYS: A STORY OF NEGOTIATION Creating art that is equal parts poetic, political, beautiful and absurd, Francis Alys (Belgian, born 1959) engages directly with urgent social issues, from the war in Afghanistan to border politics around the world. Organized in conjunction with the Museo Tamayo in Mexico City and making its only Canadian stop in Toronto, this exhibition surveys some of Alys’s most significant projects of the last two decades. Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas St. W., 416-979-6648). Until April 2.
TORONTO: TRIBUTES + TRIBUTARIES, 1971-1989 explores the experimental energy of an era, bringing together more than 100 works by 65 artists and collectives to highlight an innovative period in Toronto art history. Amidst the social and political upheavals of their time, the generation of artists that emerged in Toronto during the ‘70s and ‘80s pushed the boundaries of conventional painting, sculpture and photography, exploring new ways of making art including video, installation and performance. Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas St. W., 416-9796648). Until May 7.
WINTER STATIONS is an annual public art competition that challenges designers worldwide to reimagine Toronto’s lifeguard stations as a basis for winter art. The theme this year is “Catalyst,” converting one form or substance into another. Various locations along the Beaches (Winterstations.com, Info@winterstations.com). Until Monday.
WOMEN OF BEAVER HALL The acclaimed exhibition 1920s Modernism in Montreal: The Beaver Hall Group has been shown at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Art Gallery of Hamilton, the Art Gallery of Windsor and the Glenbow Museum in Calgary. Haliconian Hall (35 Hazelton Ave., 416-922-3618). Until Wednesday.