VISUAL ARTS
BENEATH THE SURFACE: LIFE, DEATH, GOLD AND CERAMICS IN ANCIENT PANAMA A stunning find in the early half of the 20th century, these relics from the cemetery of a Precolumbian people, the Coclé, were hidden away for more than 1,000 years before washing to the shores of Rio Grande Coclé, Panama, in 1927 after a flood. This exhibit includes golden plaques, pendants and other relics that the Coclé buried with their dead. Gardiner Museum (111 Queens Park, 416-586-8080). Until May 29. BLACK CLOUD A storm of black moths cloud the building interior as part of Mexico City artist Carlos Amorales’ work that blends the beautiful with the ominous. Fitting with the Power Plant’s heritage, the moths represent an allegory touching on climate change and its impact on endangered species. Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery (231 Queens Quay W., 416973-4949). Until May 15. CANADA’S OLDEST PROFESSION: SEX WORK AND BAWDY HOUSE LEGISLATION The history of the world’s oldest profession would be too lengthy for one exhibit, but this one scales down to the history of prostitution at the local level. Photographs, maps and other historical documents highlights the lives of madams, ladies of the evening and others who were wrapped up in the world of selling sex. Robarts Library, University of Toronto (130 St. George., 416-978-8450). Until June 1. COLLECTIVE STANCE New York-based artist Leslie Hewitt collaborates with cinematographer Bradford Young for this new installation. Also included in this exhibition are several works by Hewitt that have been inspired, at least in part, by the work of Young. Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery (231 Queens Quay W., 416973-4949). Until May 15. MANY THINGS BROUGHT FROM ONE CLIMATE TO ANOTHER Showcasing artworks from the past 50+ years, this exhibit demonstrates how contemporary artists express their perceptions of modern life in all its complexity. Artworks range from paintings to floor lighting and sculpture using unusual objects. Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas St. W., 416-979-6648). Until June 12. MARVELLOUS CREATURES: ANIMALS IN ISLAMIC ART The mythic creatures of tales and legends have been the inspiration of artwork throughout the centuries. The creatures on display here span many stories in the Islamic traditions, represented on manuscripts, textiles, ceramics, jewellery, glass and metalwork taken from the past 14 centuries. Aga Khan Museum (77 Wynford Dr., 416-646-4677). Saturday until Sept. 11. ORDINARY WEATHER: AN EXHIBITION OF CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY BY NATHAN CYPRUS seeks to document the sense of wonder in Toronto that most of us miss every day. Cyprus embarked on a bicycle trek of the city and took photos of the unusual and the beautiful in Toronto’s seemingly ordinary landscape. Mackenzie House (82 Bond St., 416-392-6915). Until Sept. 22. OUTSIDERS: AMERICAN PHOTORAPHY AND FILM, 1950S - 1980S During a time of rapid political change in the United States, artists began to work with photography and film to express ideas that had traditionally been the realm of more classical art forms such as sculpture and painting. Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas St. W., 416-979-6648). Until May 29. PAINTING TRANQUILITY: MASTERWORKS BY VILHELM HAMMERSHOI To celebrate the Art Gallery of Ontario’s first acquisition of a painting by Vilhelm Hammershoi, this exhibition includes more than 20 other paintings by the 19th-century Danish master. Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas St. W., 416-979-6648). Until July 3. THE POLITICAL NIGHTFALL Artist Aude Moreau examines panoramas of Toronto and Los Angeles to find the political issues hidden within them. Moreau mixes mediums, such as embedding film in architecture, to uncover the stories of the past, often represented in the skylines of the present. Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery (231 Queens Quay W., 416973-4949). Until May 15. SONG DONG’S COMMUNAL COURTYARD consists of 100 authentic Chinese wardrobe doors, creating small rooms and walkways to give the impression of how the lower classes live in cities like Beijing. The installation is making its Canadian debut and is part of Dong’s ongoing series, The Wisdom of the Poor. Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas St. W., 416-979-6648). Until July 17. LES TEMPS INACHEVÉS (UNFINISHED TIME) collects the work of Montreal-based artist Patrick Bernatchez, Chrysalides (2006-13) and Lost in Time (2009-15). Chrysalides was inspired by the discovery of a notebook imprinted with mould patterns, leading to observations of life and decay. Lost in Time is a series of examinations of time through a number of mediums. Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery (231 Queens Quay W., 416-9734949). Until May 15. A THIRD GENDER: BEAUTIFUL YOUTHS IN JAPANESE PRINTS For more than two-and-a-half centuries, it was considered acceptable in Japanese culture for both men and women to treat male youths, or “wakashu,” as objects of sexual desire. This new art exhibition reveals this unsettling and little-known chapter through period works of art. Royal Ontario Museum (100 Queen’s Park, 416-5868000). Saturday until Nov. 27. THOMAS RUFF: OBJECT RELATIONS This exhibition by the German photographer features 40 large works of art made with collected and found images, manipulated and altered in a number of ways. Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas St. W., 416-979-6648). Until July 31. TUNNEL VISION: THE STORY OF TORONTO’S SUBWAY features photographs, maps, plans and artifacts to showcase the great scale of the daily operations of the subway. Presented in co-operation with the Toronto Transportation Society. Market Gallery of the City of Toronto Archives (95 Front St. E., 416-3927604). Until June 11.